Something's Brewing
by clementimey
Summary: Caroline works at Saltzman's Brew, the choice coffee shop in Richmond, Virginia. Klaus is an owner of a world-famous tea company with a new store opening directly across the street. Here's the problem: Mikaelson's Tea House has a track record of bankrupting the competition. Sparks fly when Caroline meets Klaus two weeks before he opens the doors of his tea house. AU/Human
1. Chapter 1

_Caroline Forbes was a small town girl; she grew up in a place where everybody knew everybody, and where strangers were few and far between. The Mystic Falls community was tight-knit, built on a legacy of rich history that was oft-celebrated. But here was the problem: Caroline was sick of celebrating the past. In fact, she was boycotting the past. Towards the end of her senior year at high school, she found herself restless with the town. It was not to say that she hadn't flourished in Mystic Falls, rather far from it: Caroline was captain of the cheerleader team, an honour student, lead all the dance committees, the head of the recycling program, Miss Mystic Falls, and one of the most popular girls in the school. But small towns can be notoriously monotonous, and none more so than Mystic Falls-according to Caroline. _

_When the time came for university applications and SATs, Caroline saw an out, a chance to start anew outside of her tiny pocket of Virginia. Her extracurricular activities and community involvement were more than enough to earn her a spot at the University of Richmond. After a tearful goodbye to her old life, her mother, and her friends Elena and Bonnie, Caroline left Mystic Falls. Three years later she graduated with a GPA of 3.9, and a major in journalism. She had changed from a small town girl into a city woman. _

_For Caroline, university was an amazing experience—she met more people from different backgrounds in two days than she had in 18 years back home. She thrived in the fast-paced environment, loving the feeling of waking up excited for the unexpected. Each day was like a breath of fresh air. And there was no shortage of available, attractive men. The university years were a montage of romance and education, neatly separated. Caroline preferred things that way, organized into boxes and categorized alphabetically. _

_Life in Richmond was everything she had hoped it would be, but something was missing. Despite the constant rotation of men she had to date (because outside of Mystic Falls, there was no Elena to compete with) Caroline wasn't making any true connections. Her boyfriends quickly dissolved to just friends, and once or twice she found herself actually upset over the break up. _

_Lately, she felt as if she were watching her relationships from a distance, waving towards herself from safe on shore. Caroline wasn't letting herself fall. She stayed back, she didn't jump in, and she played it safe. It was infuriating to her lovers, she imagined; always having one foot out the door, never really committed. _

_On her 22nd birthday, Caroline swore to a year of no dating, setting it away to figure herself out—if only for the benefit of her future relationships. Three months into that year, Caroline was bored as hell. _

* * *

"Could I get a medium white hot chocolate?" The dark-haired girl asked, holding out a black gift card.

Charlotte took the card and swiped it down the side of the monitor which beeped appropriately. "Your total is 4.67; you have 14.04 left on the card." She replied, handing it back. "What's your name?"

"Elena."

Charlotte smiled and scribbled the name on the side of the paper cup in black sharpie pen. She turned around and held the cup out. "White hot chocolate!"

Caroline snapped out of her mid-afternoon trance to take the cup from Charlotte's hand. Giving herself a shake, she adjusted the black visor on her head and set to work making the drink. It was like second nature for her, whipping the milk and adding the flavouring to perfection. She caught herself pursing her lips in concentration and laughed at her own intensity for brewing drinks.

In less than two minutes, she was done. A perfect white hot chocolate.

"Whipped cream?" Caroline asked without looking up.

"Oh, please." Elena replied, trying to disguise her voice and her smile.

Caroline squeezed the whipped cream trigger and created an alpine peak atop the cup, finally adding a touch of chocolate sauce. She set down the canister with a contented sigh. There was something so satisfying about creating a work of culinary art. It must be the perfectionist inside of her.

She turned the cup and set it down on the bar. "Order for...Elena?" Caroline looked up slowly, elated to discover her best friend standing right across from her, grinning widely.

Caroline squeaked and rushed around the counter to grab her friend in a tight hug. Elena was laughing excitedly as she returned the embrace. The last time she had seen her high school best friend was at her 22nd birthday party, almost three months ago.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline asked after releasing Elena, her bright blue eyes widened in surprise.

"Well, I was shopping in the city and I thought I might drop in and surprise my favourite barista! Lucky for me you were working today."

Caroline made her way back to her side of the counter before she got in trouble. Elena climbed into one of the stools opposite her. She brought the cup to her lips and drank cautiously, then quickly.

"Care, this is so good! Have you found your calling?" Elena gushed.

Caroline snorted. "God, I hope not. It's my job; I don't have a passion for coffee." She raised an eyebrow. "We both know I'm destined for bigger and better things."

"Fame? Fortune? Immortality?" Elena counted off each achievement on her fingers.

"All of the above," Caroline chuckled. "It's so good to see you! Except, you know, I keep getting blinded by that rock. Put it away!" She shielded her eyes dramatically.

Elena laughed and folded her hands above her drink, admiring the diamond ring on her finger. "It is pretty damn shiny."

"Seriously. It's a hazard," Caroline sighed. "I'm so jealous."

Elena shook her head, her dark hair fanning around her. "C'mon, Care, you know it's going to happen soon. You just need to commit. What happened to Seth?"

"Seth had deep-rooted emotional issues. But such defined pecs." Caroline placed a hand over her heart.

"Very true. Well, what about that, uh, Brian! What about him?"

"Brian hated sushi. That's practically a felony."

"Steven?"

"Actually, I didn't tell you this, but he had a questionable mole on his back. Wait, listen! I got him to check it out and it was just a birthmark, thank God, but can you imagine? A ticking time bomb."

Elena snorted and almost blew white hot chocolate through her nose. Caroline handed her a napkin with a small smile.

"Caroline. I know you hear yourself. Stop making excuses. Just be open to it. You think I ever imagined Damon would be the one putting an antique ring on my finger?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Falling in love is so easy when you're Elena. Some of us actually have to work for it." Caroline shrugged.

"I don't think you're one of those people, Care. Just don't settle, okay? Find somebody who—"

"Challenges me, I know." As if she hadn't heard that advice from Elena a million times over since she got engaged. Having a fiancé was truly turning her best friend into a romantic zealot.

Elena nodded. Then her phone buzzed on the counter. She picked it up, and read the screen. Caroline could swear that Elena was melting from the inside out. Soon she'd be mopping her friend off the floor.

"Speak of the devil?"

"My favourite one. I gotta go meet him. I'll call you later, okay?" Elena reached out her hand and Caroline gave it a quick squeeze from behind the counter. They shared a look of understanding and then let go.

"Hey, give him a slap from me!" Caroline called as Elena pushed open the door, waving one hand flippantly in response.

Caroline put her elbows down on the counter and rubbed her hands over her face. Leave it to Elena to burrow into her head and shake up all her feelings. Maybe she was right, maybe Caroline was being fickle. Well, there was no maybe. She knew she was. She just didn't know how to stop.

"Caroline, did you hear me?"

Caroline straightened suddenly; whipping her head around so fast her ponytail smacked her in the face. Charlotte was holding out a cup impatiently. Apparently a few more customers had slipped in without Caroline noticing.

As she took the cup from her co-worker, her eyes glanced towards the face of the current customer. Her heart skipped a beat. _Holy hell_. He was gorgeous.

Tall, muscular under the thin fabric of his black Henley shirt, and exuding an air of confidence so strong it took her aback. His hair was light brown and curled slightly—the type of hair that you just knew was an awkward curly mess in middle school. He seemed to have graduated from that stage with great success however, probably due heavily to his piercing blue eyes—that were staring back at Caroline. Oh shit.

"Like what you see, love?" British. Of course. Caroline squeaked and turned away, her cheeks flushing pink. Charlotte's attempts to hide her laughter were weak.

She didn't even hear the order. God, how embarrassing. Caroline fiddled with the cup in her hands. She took a deep breath and looked back to them.

Mysterious guy's full, perfectly-structured lips were pulled into a smug smirk. He knew exactly what he was doing. Caroline steeled herself, and rolled her eyes. What a smug bastard.

"Coffee. Italian Roast. Black. Oh, and a vanilla bean smoothie, thanks." He said, his eyes never leaving Caroline. There was something almost predatory in the way he looked at her; the way his gaze flicked over her body, making her feel like her black apron was the only thing she was wearing.

Caroline tore herself away from him, leaving Charlotte to ring up his order. She grabbed a plastic cup and went to the blender. As she crushed the ice and milk together, she could feel mystery guy's eyes on her body. At this point it was almost creepy. He was cute, well, fine he was beautiful (those cheekbones were sharper than the blades in her blender) but the problem was he knew it. Caroline had met many men like that. Too many. And he used 'love' as a pet name. So cliché.

The coffee took less than a minute. She snapped the cap on and pushed both drinks forward across the counter. He was standing on the other side, predictably staring at her.

"Order for..." Caroline turned the coffee sideways to read the sharpie.

"Klaus," He finished, not reaching for his drinks. Instead, he leaned on the counter towards her, looking at her with an expression of honest curiosity.

"The vanilla smoothie is a great choice. I love vanilla," Caroline said suddenly, immediately regretting it. She was just trying to fill the silence. What did he care if she liked vanilla?

Klaus seemed amused. "Really, I'll have to remember that. It's not mine, though, it's for my sister." He flicked his head towards the door, where his car was presumably parked.

Adjusting the strap of her apron, Caroline gave him an awkward smile. "Better not keep her waiting, I guess." She replied. Ugh. She pressed her hands to her face nervously. What was it about this guy that had her so wound up?

"No, she can wait. That is some apron." Klaus said. His eyes trailed down her body again, and then snapped back up to her eyes. He knew he'd been caught looking, but from his expression, he wanted to be. Caroline's stomach fluttered. She had a sudden urge to crawl under the counter.

"Yeah, well, it's the uniform. Don't want to get my clothes covered in coffee and stuff, right?" She replied, trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks. This Klaus was so intense.

"Oh, no not at all. Does your boyfriend know how you look in that?" He said in a lower tone, his voice gravelly. Caroline couldn't stop herself from watching his lips as he spoke; it was almost mesmerizing the way his Cupid's bow upper lip moved with every word.

"No, I mean I don't have a boyfriend." She sputtered, and Klaus smiled. The way she had been staring at his lips was clearly obvious.

"Ah, good to know," Klaus said, and picked up his drinks in each hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Caroline."

Caroline frowned, baffled. How did he know her name?

"Your nametag, love." Klaus chuckled, revealing the insultingly adorable dimples in his cheeks.

Carline covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh," she said through her fingers, "enjoy your coffee."

He gave her one last, long look before turning and walking out of the shop. Caroline watched him leave, strutting powerfully in his fitted denim pants. As soon as the door closed behind him, she relaxed onto a stool behind the counter. She felt suddenly drained.

Charlotte turned around and mouthed the words 'oh my _GOD_', and Caroline burst out laughing.

"Good God, is it even legal to be that sexy?" Charlotte said dramatically, fanning her neck with a flyer. "I'm having a hot flash at twenty-five years old."

Caroline took off her visor to smooth out her hair and rolled her eyes. "He's too self-aware. You know he knows he looks good."

"Yeah, and so do I! If I wasn't with Damien I'd be climbing that like a tree. Like you should be! He was sweet on you." Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

"Please!" Caroline adjusted her visor higher on her forehead. "I would never fall for that 'suave Brit' bullshit. I'm too smart for that."

"Oh really? So that wasn't you drooling at him? That was somebody else?"

Caroline replied by throwing an empty paper cup at her co-worker. Charlotte shook her head and turned back to the register.

The shop wasn't busy at all, thankfully. Only an older man at the front and a teenage girl by the window overheard Charlotte's comments. Caroline took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. They were shaking. This 'no men' thing was killing her. An attractive guy pays the slightest attention to her and she needed a shock blanket. She scoffed and busied her hands with wiping down the counter. Stupid, sexy Klaus.

Klaus walked up to the passenger side of his truck and handed the smoothie through the open window to Rebekah, who gave him a suspicious look. Pushing her platinum hair back from her face, she took a sip of her drink, and then turned to Klaus as he got into the driver's seat.

"Did you get lost in there?" She said snidely.

Klaus gave her a withering look. He took a long drink of his coffee before putting it into the cup holder on the dashboard. It was surprisingly good, for some tiny little coffee house that wasn't even franchised. For a moment, he ignored his sister and thought about the girl he had met inside, Caroline. She was ravishing. Even with her golden hair up in a work-appropriate ponytail, she was practically glowing. Not to mention the constant flush of her cheeks as he had spoken to her, something that Klaus found very attractive. He smiled absently at the thought.

"Earth to Nik! What is with you today?" Rebekah snapped her fingers beside his head. He blinked a few times and then looked at Rebekah as if noticing her for the first time. He could almost see the gears turning in her head as she decoded his face.

"Oh _god_," she groaned. "You met a girl."

Klaus turned the keys in the engine and pulled out of his parking spot, driving with one arm. "None of your business," he replied after they had exited the parking lot.

"Did you order the same drink as her? Was it like, fate?" Rebekah snickered, watching her brother's expression turn from absent to annoyed.

"She actually made my coffee, if you _must _know." Klaus turned away to check his blind spot as he switched lanes.

Rebekah barked with laughter, earning a glare from Klaus. "So you met a girl at the shop you're planning to run out of business? I wonder how she'll take the news."

"An unfortunate coincidence," Klaus growled, "but the location is perfect."

He brought the car to a stop in the underground parking lot of his condo. Rebekah got out of the car, holding her empty cup delicately at her side. Klaus followed quietly, his lips pursed. They walked to the elevator in silence. Rebekah hit the button with the back of her hand and eyed her brother.

Nik was staring into the blank grey of the elevator doors. His fingers were rattling a nonsense beat on the side of his cup, a tick he had whenever he was deep in thought. Whatever he was thinking, she didn't like it. Especially if it involved that coffee girl. Nik was very intense; he didn't do things half-heartedly. He was an all-or-nothing man. And she didn't need her brother getting distracted from the tea house two weeks before it was supposed to open, all because of some half-wit girl who'd caught his attention.

* * *

Caroline was just finishing stacking the chairs on the tables when the bell over the door chimed. The November night air rushed into the store. "Oh, we're closed-Hey Alaric."

Her boss, the owner/manager of Saltzman's Brew, walked past her and behind the counter. He made his way to the baked goods at the front and grabbed a muffin. Caroline watched him out of the corner of her eye. After working with him for two years, she could always tell when he was upset. His hair was slightly ruffled and messy from its usual part. The sleeves of his black button-up were rolled and haphazardly shoved up his forearms. Caroline watched him practically devour the blueberry muffin in three bites.

"Hey Caroline," Alaric said after he'd swallowed. "Charlotte went home already?"

"Yeah, I don't mind sweeping up." Caroline replied, stacking the last chair. "What's up?"

Alaric sighed, leaning against the counter. Caroline went into the back to grab a broom and began to sweep the shop from back to front. She really didn't mind doing it; it was almost calming in its monotony.

"We're in trouble, Caroline," Alaric finally answered, running a hand through his hair.

"What do you mean?" She asked, as she swept around the legs of a table.

"You know the vacant building across the street, with the windows all boarded up? They put a notice on the door this morning: 'Mikaelson's Tea House is coming soon'." Alaric grumbled, picking up another muffin and unwrapping it.

Caroline tilted her head. "So? It's a tea place, big deal. We sell coffee."

"You don't understand. The Mikaelson's Tea House is like...the Superman of the brewed drinks market. They have like ten locations globally, so whenever they make a store _anywhere, _it`s a huge deal. Why the hell they chose _Richmond, Virginia_, is beyond me."

Caroline nodded. "So if they're Superman, we're..."

"We're Clark Kent. Less. Compared to them...they have over 65 different kinds of tea. They have special merchandise. There are people who visit every store they put up! People _love _them. It's an old company too. Ugh." He put his hand across his eyes, but continued to eat his second muffin. His brow wrinkled in frustration. "Worst part of all is I really want to see inside their store. It's supposed to be incredible."

Caroline opened the front door and swept the pile of dirt outside onto the sidewalk. The night air snaked around her ankles and she shut the door quickly. Finally, she could finish her especially long day, which had been inundated with thoughts of a certain customer. Untying her apron from around the back proved to be too difficult for her. She walked back to Alaric and he untied the knot, holding his muffin in his mouth.

"There," he said when he finished. Caroline sighed, and pulled the garment off her head, knocking the visor off at the same time. She smoothed down the cream sweater she was wearing. It was so pretty, one of her favourites, it was almost a shame she had to wear it under her apron.

"Ric, we're going to be fine. Saltzman's Brew isn't Clark Kent. We're Batman, who, as everyone knows, is way cooler than Superman." She gave him a hopeful smile as she let her curls down.

"Doesn't help that they're English, either. All the Anglophiles are gonna be crowding it on opening day, trying to get a look at Klaus Mikaelson." Alaric dismissed Caroline's encouragement, clearly just looking to vent.

Caroline's head whipped around at the name. "His name is Klaus?"

"Yeah, one of the Mikaelson boys, supposedly a gorgeous, British playboy. God, I am going to stress-eat myself into a different weight class." Alaric balled up the muffin wrapper in his hand and tossed it towards the trash bin. It bounced off the side onto the floor. "That's an omen."

Caroline put her knuckle to her lips. She had never seen Klaus in Saltzman's Brew before, and she had been there almost every day for the last two years. Every other customer knew her by name from familiarity, but he had been new. He was so confident and at ease, something about him screamed _posh, _he had a perfect accent…it had to be. How many Klaus's could there possibly be in Richmond? It was no coincidence. The very same Klaus Mikaelson, apparent playboy, had been flirting with her just that afternoon. And getting a taste of the competition, more likely.

A swell of anger bloomed in her chest. "Oh my god, I know him." Caroline whispered, her eyes wide in shock.

"What?" Alaric frowned.

"He was in the shop today. At least, I think. How many British guys named Klaus are there in Richmond?" Caroline strode to the back and grabbed her trench coat off the hanger.

"You _met _him? He was here?" Alaric glanced around the shop quickly, as if he was afraid the tea mogul was hiding somewhere. "What was he like? Did he try the Italian Roast?"

"Yeah, he did actually," Caroline paused to think about him, the exact opposite of what she had been doing most of the night. Her cheeks heated when she remembered how he acted towards her. Probably not something she should tell Alaric, she decided.

"Good, good…that's the best cup in here. We'll get them yet." Alaric rubbed his chin. Caroline pulled on her coat and reached into the pocket, finding her iPhone safely inside. She had this irrational fear that one day when she put her hand there it would be gone. She checked the time: 10:45 pm. A good 12 hours of work. Her wallet would be pleased.

"Alright, I'm gonna head home, you good here?" Caroline asked, looking up from her phone. "Stop eating!"

Alaric's open mouth froze just inches from his third muffin. With a shameful look, he threw the offending treat into the trash. "You're right. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. See you Monday, Caroline."

Caroline waved and stepped outside into the brisk night air. She let out a sigh. That Klaus was sneaky, coming into their shop and playing around like he wasn't about to run them into the ground. This job was the only thing keeping Caroline from moving back with her parents, and she was fiercely loyal to Ric. But as the fall winds whipped a tornado of leaves across the street, Caroline shivered. Something was brewing, and it was big.

* * *

_**Author's Note: Wow so I haven't written a fic in ages...but I couldn't help myself. I love Klaus and Caroline! So yeah, this is the basically coffee shop AU with a twist. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, leave a review. Constructive criticism is incredibly helpful.**_

_**The rating is T for now...but it will go up to M, pinky promise. ;)**_


	2. Chapter 2

Klaus made his way through the throng of gyrating, youthful bodies towards the bar. Crowded around him were dozens of inebriated club-goers, and he had realized suddenly that he wanted to be one of them. A drink in his belly would certainly make him more comfortable. But the bartender was busy with someone else, so Klaus took the moment to scan the crowd. He was an avid people-watcher, or as Rebekah liked to put it, creeper.

The club was dimly-lit, humid with the heat of a hundred bodies rubbing together. It was named something irrelevant like_ Swordfish_. Klaus didn't remember; night clubs were more Rebekah's scene than his. For her sake he had at least tried to dress the part of reluctant attendee: dark green  
button-down, slim black jeans, and omnipresent smirk. The last time he'd been in a nightclub was years ago, and standing in the midst of one now, much older and wiser, made him reminiscent. And curious, as to whether he'd looked as silly as many of the men on the dance floor. He hoped not.

Klaus turned back to the bartender, pleased to see she was alone.

"A shot of your best whiskey, love," he leaned in closer so that she could hear him over the constant thump of bass.

"Coming right up."

"Make that two, actually," Rebekah said as she slid beside her brother. There was a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead, and her chignon was slowly falling apart, but otherwise she looked quite pleased.

"Having fun with your suitors?" Klaus asked, taking in her appearance.

"Loads. Having fun looking like a serial killer?" Rebekah replied, pulling a compact out of her clutch. She reapplied her cherry lipstick and shut the mirror with a snap.

The bartender slid two full shot glasses towards the siblings. Klaus pushed one at Rebekah, rolling his eyes at her comment.

"To family," Klaus raised his glass.

"Always and forever!" Rebekah exclaimed, clinking her glass against his.

Each Mikaelson swallowed their shot quickly. Klaus exhaled heavily after banging down his glass, Rebekah releasing a whoop of victory. Nothing quite like getting drunk with your family.

The song changed into something with a faster beat and Rebekah waved to her brother. She weaved her way back into the crowd. Klaus watched her form disappear into the mass and smiled. He was glad she was having fun, at least one of them was. Clubs just weren't his scene anymore. Perhaps he was getting old.

A woman appeared beside him, trying to get the bartender's attention. She was slim, dark-haired, and clad in a tight black dress. Her head turned and she met his eyes, revealing herself to be quite the pretty little thing. Klaus gave her a small smile.

"What are you drinking, love?" He asked. She giggled. His night was improving already.

* * *

Caroline blew her nose loudly into a Kleenex. Her sinuses always got so blocked whenever she cried. And she had been bawling. Somehow, even though she had seen The Notebook a zillion times, it never failed to make her tear up. It was practically her kryptonite.

She wiped under nose with the tissue and then dropped it into the trash bin beside her bed. Pushing her laptop off her legs, she slowly got to her feet and stretched upwards. She'd been sitting cross legged for the past two hours—any longer and she would have been stuck like that forever. That would be very inconvenient, having to crawl everywhere.

Her bare feet made soft slapping sounds on the hardwood floors as she padded her way to the kitchen. Caroline grabbed a clean mug from her cupboard and filled it with water from the sink. She took a long gulp and then set the cup down.

It was her first weekend off in a month, and she was having some much needed Me Time. Though, to be frank, there wasn't space for much else in her tiny apartment. One bedroom, one bathroom, and the dining room inside the kitchen…it was very _cozy_. It was also the best she could afford.

After she'd graduated from university, she was heavily in debt, and had to start work immediately to pay it off. Even with help from her mom, on her underpaid sheriff's salary, Caroline had trouble making ends meet. When she got the position at Saltzman's, she cried alone in her apartment, because she didn't have to move back with her mom and feel like a failure.

And now that 'tea house' was threatening her independence, apparently. Caroline wrinkled her nose and put the mug in the sink. She walked back to her bedroom and hopped onto her duvet, pulling the laptop closer. She exited the DVD player, ignoring the rolling credits of the movie, and opened Google.

She typed 'Klaus Michaelson' into the search bar and hit enter. The results auto-corrected to Klaus_ Mikael_son. Caroline snorted. How very Old World.

There were a lot of results. There was a Wikipedia page for the Mikaelson Tea House. Curious, she clicked it. A corporation founded in the late 60's, a global tea company and tea house chain...Boring. She scrolled down a little.

It was a family business. Each store was opened with one of the Mikaelson children, of which there were five: Finn, Elijah, Klaus, Kol, and Rebekah. _Jeez_, thought Caroline_, are these people Vikings or something?_ According to the page, whenever they opened a store in a new location, one of them managed it for a year or so, to make sure everything was up to the Mikaelson standard. That was kind of cool.

Caroline scrolled back up, and gasped. The company had revenue of almost eight billion dollars a year. And they had—she read further down—only 22 stores. How was that even possible? Ah, they had their own brand of tea products that was sold literally worldwide.

The more Caroline read about the company, the more interested she became. After some digging, he found herself almost shamefully excited to go into the shop when it opened. Maybe she could wear a disguise or something. Klaus would inevitably recognize her. Or maybe he wouldn't…Alaric had said he was a playboy. She curled her finger around the end of her pigtail braid. That wouldn't surprise Caroline. Anybody who looked like that, well, they had the opportunity.

Feeling nosy, she went back to his name and clicked on it. He was famous enough to have his own Wikipedia page. Caroline rolled her eyes…and scrolled straight to the Personal Life section. Wow. He'd been linked with several celebrity socialites and actresses. And engaged, once, though his ex-fiancée's name wasn't listed. Caroline sighed. She didn't know what she had been expecting. But somehow, she felt a little cheated, or disappointed.

Both emotions were now annoying to her, and with a huff she closed the laptop. She grabbed her phone off her nightstand where it had been charging on silent (Caroline preferred not to be disturbed during her ritualistic viewings of The Notebook). A new text message from Elena.

_Still in town, do u wanna hit up Marlin for a bit? _Delivered 15 minutes ago.

_Oh god, I haven't been clubbing since uni. Let's do it. _Caroline replied, and then dropped her phone onto her bed. She stood and began to rifle through her closet for an appropriately inappropriate outfit. Too long, too heavy, too dark…Perfect. She slipped the dress off the hanger and draped it against the front of her matching plaid pyjamas. She'd only worn it once before, having bought it specifically to impress a guy in her freshman year of university. He turned out to be gay, so the magic was a little lost on him. But for tonight, it was perfect.

Her phone buzzed on her bed.

_YAY. Be there in 15. _Caroline squeaked and ran into the bathroom to do her makeup. Of course Elena would leave her no time to get ready. Some things never changed.

* * *

Klaus was growing increasingly bored of the night club. The brunette he was speaking to had revealed herself to be married, which he found no fun at all. Rebekah was nowhere in sight. Not that it worried him, particularly; she could take care of herself and odds were she was snogging some boy in a darkened corner.

Klaus leaned back in his VIP booth, enjoying all the room he had to himself. One thing he didn't like about clubs (among many things) was the lack of personal space. He didn't ask to bump against the sweat-stained backs of underage kids enjoying their fake ID's when he tried to get back to the bar. It was like he could hardly have a breath to himself until he sat back at his booth.

Perhaps getting a VIP booth was over the top, but Klaus could no longer stand to deal with the crowd. And it came with a complimentary bottle of champagne. Classy. He slid his middle finger around the rim of the ice bucket, looking out over the crowd.

A small group was entering through the front, two girls and a man. Klaus watched the top of their heads as they shifted through the crowd. The blonde made her way straight to the bar while her dark-haired friend and Klaus assumed her boyfriend, started to dance.

Klaus was about to look away when the blonde turned her head. A jolt of recognition went through him. His gaze locked, transfixed. The crowd obscured his view of her from the neck down, but her face was unmistakeable. Caroline. That girl from the funny little coffee shop. _Saltyman's _or something. It didn't matter. Klaus was standing and walking towards her before he could stop himself.

Caroline was feeling good. Her dress was hot, her hair was perfectly wavy from her braids, and her shoes were not yet killing her feet. The atmosphere of the club was electric, and had her itching to dance. Caroline had sworn off relationships for a year, not dancing. Dancing was totally okay. If her partner was cute, kissing was totally okay too. It was all about perspective.

"Excuse me!" She called to the bartender again, but the woman clearly couldn't hear her. Caroline sighed, and tapped her fingers on the bar. The hairs on her arm rose up suddenly, and a shiver ran through her. She turned to her right. Oh no.

_Oh yes_, Klaus thought as she turned towards him. Her appearance felt like a physical blow to his chest. That dress was exactly the kind of garment that Klaus preferred to see balled up on his bedroom floor. It was short, but not short enough, the red fabric clinging to her thighs only a few inches above the knee. The sweetheart neckline framed her breasts, revealing to Klaus the cleavage he had been so unfairly denied by her black apron. Her décolletage was on display, and from his position a few feet away from her, he could almost see the pulse in her neck. His eyes flickered back up to her face.

Caroline nearly fell over from shock. Klaus, the guy she had been googling less than twenty minutes before, was now the one ogling her. Which was not to say that she didn't like the attention. Her cheeks were blushing hot from the way he'd stared at her; possessively, sensually, _lustfully_. His gaze was so dark and intense. When he glanced up to meet her eyes, Caroline felt heat start to pool in her center.

"Caroline," Klaus said her name like he was confessing a secret. Instinctively, she moved closer to hear him better. "You look ravishing."

Caroline pushed her hair away from her neck, revealing precious inches of creamy skin. Her dress sleeves started just off the shoulder on both sides, and Klaus was almost overwhelmed with the amount of chest he was seeing. He wanted desperately to touch her, to feel the silk of her skin beneath his fingers.

"Thank you," she replied shyly, holding back a giggle. "You clean up well."

That he did. That green shirt was just begging to be unbuttoned. He looked so clean and put together, Caroline just wanted to rough him up a little bit, mess up his perfect hair. Or his perfect lips, which were giving her that trademark smirk.

"I've got a bottle of bubbly, if you're interested. Have a drink with me, love?" He asked, extending his hand towards her. Caroline looked from the bar to the crowd and then back to her British suitor. She shrugged inwardly. One drink couldn't hurt, especially if it was free. She grabbed his hand, marvelled for a second at the firm roughness of it, and then followed him as he pulled her through the crowd.

Klaus felt like a king as he held on to her tiny hand, navigating her back to his booth. Her touch was consuming; he could think of little else but the way her hands would feel roaming the rest of his body...he tried to shake the thought from his head so he could remember the way.

When they arrived, Caroline released his hand and climbed into the leather seating. Absently, she wondered how many hook-ups had occurred on the couch. There was champagne inside a bucket on the table, so at least he hadn't lied to her. She watched him take out the bottle and pop the cork expertly into the air; then he poured the bubbly into the two thin glasses included with the bottle.

Caroline picked one up and Klaus followed suit. He held the stem of the glass between his thumb and forefinger, rolling it.

"What should we toast to?" She smiled, glad that the booth was quiet enough for them to talk over the music without yelling.

"To second chances?" Klaus raised his eyebrow devilishly. Caroline scoffed and clinked her glass against his. She took a cautious sip, maintaining eye contact. It was actually rather nice bubbly.

"Wait, is this a VIP booth?" Caroline leaned across the table, folding a hand under her chin. It had just clicked into her what kind of booth came with free drinks.

"Of course, love. Only the best." Klaus replied casually.

"Yeah, but it's empty. Were you just sitting up here alone?" She asked. Her eyes danced playfully in the low light.

Klaus pursed his lips together. She was teasing him, he was sure, and yet he was still defensive.

"Maybe. It's very crowded down there. Very loud. Sweaty." He replied, and took a sip of champagne.

"Oh my God, you are such an old man!" Caroline laughed, "Did you have to leave your walker at the coat check or did they let you keep it?"

If all this teasing led to her laughing, he could withstand it. She looked so beautiful with her head thrown back with mirth. A little, empathetic smile was pulling at his mouth.

"I was just waiting for the right company, love." He said seriously, flicking his gaze across her exposed skin once more.

Caroline squirmed. Klaus looked so comfortable, one arm draped over the back of the booth, his other hand curled around an expensive glass of alcohol; she wondered how often he found himself in similar situations. She had been so wrapped up in the glamour of the booth that she forgotten that this was probably commonplace for him.

"Must be nice," she said.

"What?"

"Your lifestyle. Buying out VIP booths and 200 dollar bottles of champagne. It must be nice." She said frankly, taking another drink.

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Money isn't everything. It doesn't buy happiness."

"Easy to say when you're rich."

"Have I offended you in some way?" Klaus's brow furrowed.

"Not yet," Caroline said dryly.

Klaus peered at her curiously, draining his glass. He refilled it and then looked away to the crowd. The music had changed to something slightly slower, still with that invasive bass beat. Couples danced closely with one another, arms and legs intertwined. Klaus almost felt jealous.

"Why Richmond?" Caroline said, pulling him from his thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, it doesn't really fit the Mikaelson M.O. Your stores are usually put in capitals, like London, New York, Paris, Rome...why Richmond?" Caroline asked. It had been bugging her ever since she'd done her online digging. It just didn't make sense.

Klaus fixed her with a look that was more dangerous than flirtatious. "Why are you asking that?"

"B-because, I just—"

"I knew it. So who is it? Who do you work for?" Klaus hissed, leaning over the table. His expression was fierce and dominant, and made Caroline self-conscious.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She stuttered, frightened by his change in demeanour.

"Tata? Starbucks? Who's your employer?" Klaus demanded, clenching a fist on the table. She watched his knuckles go white.

"Klaus, what the _hell_? I'm not a corporate spy," Caroline exclaimed, "I googled your company!"

Klaus moved backwards. His expression melted to look of concern and he raised his eyebrows apologetically.

"Sorry, love. You'd be surprised how often it happens, really. I have to protect my family." He said sincerely, glancing down and then back at her, giving her his best 'sad puppy' look. Caroline crossed her arms.

"So, you googled me, huh? If you wanted to know about me, you could just ask," He teased, trying to diffuse the tension. He really wanted to keep talking to her. If she really wasn't a purveyor of corporate espionage, then her interest in his business decisions was refreshing.

Caroline's mouth twitched. She was conflicted. She understood why he had become suspicious, and in retrospect, it was a strange question to ask. But at the same time, she was frightened of him. The way his voice and face had changed in those few seconds, from easy flirtation to downright ferocity, had scared her. And, she would never admit, had turned her on a little. Now she was offended, aroused and confused.

"I googled your company, not you, okay? Thanks for the drink, I gotta get home." Caroline drained her champagne and put the glass back on the table. She slid her long legs to the side of the booth and stood up. From her position above the crowd, she could see Damon and Elena canoodling at the front of the club.

Klaus's mouth fell open in surprise. He hurried to his feet, nearly knocking his drink over in the process. "Caroline, you don't have to go. I really am sorry, love."

She turned her head a fraction in his direction. "Don't call me that," she said, because it sent little sparks of excitement through her body whenever he called her that. She watched his reaction out of the corner of her eye.

"Can I call you a cab, at least?" Klaus offered, moving so he stood in front of her.

Caroline avoided his eyes. "I live within walking distance."

"Great! I'll walk you."

"No!" She said a little too quickly. Walking home meant coming up for a drink, and a drink led to other things she wasn't so sure she could resist. "You just stay in your VIP booth alone and drink your champagne."

Klaus frowned. "Words hurt, _love._"

Caroline scoffed and pushed past him, ignoring the flush of her skin where she bumped her shoulder against his. She trotted down the stairs and bee-lined for Damon and Elena. Her heart was racing uncomfortably, and she decided it was due to the champagne. Yes, the champagne she'd had one glass of. Definitely.

Klaus watched her leave, came dangerously close to chasing after her. Caroline was different; she didn't warm easily to him. She was resisting his charm, and he found it exciting. Every once in a while she'd break, and he could tell she enjoyed his company, but usually she pretended to be put off by him. Klaus had been trained to read people since he was young, an important skill in business. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get a clear angle on Caroline. It was infuriating, and strangely addicting. She looked rather stunning walking away from him.

Caroline pulled lightly on Elena's shoulder. The dark-haired girl tore off her fiancé's lips with a soft smacking sound, and she turned around, looking about ready to throw a punch. When she saw it was Caroline, she smiled and leaned against Damon, who folded his arms around her middle.

"Hey, Care, what's up?" She asked, noticing the manic look in her friend's eyes.

"We need to go, now." Caroline said urgently.

"What's the rush, Barbie?" Damon had known Caroline for a long time, and he could tell when she was frazzled. "You look all...prickly."

"Can I explain outside, please?" She begged, grabbing Elena's hand. Caroline pleaded silently to her friend with her eyes, hoping she could communicate just how much she wanted to go home. Elena relented, gave her friend a soft smile, and stepped off Damon's body. He rolled his eyes but followed after the blonde as she pulled his fiancée away.

A few minutes later, outside the club, Caroline was drinking long breaths of the fresh night air. Damon and Elena exchanged a look. Her behaviour was seriously starting to worry them.

"Okay, were outside. What's going on?" Elena put a hand on Caroline's shoulder.

Caroline inhaled deeply. "Okay, let's walk and talk…" She said, and the threesome made their way down the empty street.

She explained how she met Klaus at the shop, Alaric's nervous breakdown, what the Mikaelson Company was, and Klaus' behaviour towards her tonight. By the time she had finished the story, they were standing outside her apartment complex. Damon looked like he was about to laugh, and Elena's brow was furrowed.

"I don't get it." She said.

"What don't you get?" Caroline frowned, starting to shiver. The cold wasn't too bad when you were walking, but standing still in a skimpy dress, it affected you.

"He's a hot, wealthy British dude—who's clearly into you. I'm just, I'm not seeing the issue."

"Elena!" Caroline huffed, "He was trying to impress me with his VIP booth and his expensive champagne, and '_only the best_'. He's so damn smug! I mean, he's going to put my store out of business! You heard that, right?"

Elena sighed. "Okay. If you hate him, I hate him. Best friend solidarity."

"I hate him." Caroline insisted.

"Then we hate him." Elena nodded.

"Good luck with that," Damon snorted. He was leaning against his parked car, silently listening to their conversation. "You said that the family stays at the location for a year, didn't you?"

Caroline nodded, giving him a suspicious look.

"Something tells me you're going to have trouble avoiding him for that long. We all know your track record with available men." He raised his eyebrows. Elena swatted his arm.

"We should probably get going, it's getting late." She said quickly, shooting her beau a dark look.

"Yeah, and since we can't really come up to your closet, we'd better head back to the hotel." Damon added, smirking.

"Ugh, you really should gag him," Caroline said to her friend, who laughed as she opened the passenger door.

"That's for later," Damon said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Caroline pretended to stick her finger down her throat. Elena gave her a shrug from inside the car. Then she waved, and Damon pulled away from the curb. Caroline gave a mock salute from the sidewalk, and then turned and made her way into her complex. Bed now, thinking later. Yes, that was a good plan.

* * *

Monday mornings were the worst thing to happen to Caroline since her first crop of acne in grade seven. Monday mornings were worse than drinking lukewarm water on a hot day. Monday mornings were like biting into a cupcake and realizing that it was a bran muffin, and the icing was shortening, and that everyone you loved was going to die eventually and there was nothing—

"Caroline?"

"What?" She said, turning her head towards Alaric, who was looking at her in concern.

"Are you doing one of you mental monologues again?" He asked as he pushed the last chair into place under a table.

Caroline chuckled, and busied herself with pulling a freshly baked pan of muffins out of the oven. The heat of the platter burned her, and she dropped it hastily onto the counter. She pulled her hand out of the oven mitt, and inspected it. A tiny hole in the thumb. Just what she needed.

"I think I might have been monologue-ing, yes," She answered as she ran her thumb under the tap.

"Care to share with the class?" Alaric smiled, walking around to the back of the counter. He looked at her reddened thumb and shook his head. Grabbing a sack of coffee beans, he put a scoop into a machine and ground enough for the first customers of the day.

"Well, I was comparing early Monday mornings to human mortality and the impending threat of death," Caroline said casually, rolling her eyes.

"So pretty light stuff," Alaric nodded. "Oh, I almost forgot!"

He walked away from the grinder and went to the back, returning with a small, wrapped object. He put it down on the counter, tilting his head at the brown package.

"It was sitting out front this morning. It's addressed to you." Alaric said curiously. Caroline dried her thumb off with a paper towel and then came over to stand beside her boss.

Written neatly on the top of the brown paper, _Caroline. _She frowned and gently ripped the paper with her hands, pulling it down and revealing several flowers inside an indigo pot. They ranged in color from light to dark purple, and smelled amazing. Their name was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't recall it.

"Hyacinths?" Alaric crossed his arms.

There was a small folded paper beneath the blooms, and Caroline reached inside to grab it. Her hands tingled slightly as she unfolded it.

_Please forgive me._

_Klaus_

Caroline closed the note before Alaric could read it over her shoulder. She dismissed the butterflies in her stomach as Monday morning sickness, and pulled the rest of the paper off the pot. She picked up the flowers and put them beside the register, knowing that the smell was quite pleasant and the customers would love them.

"Who's it from?" Alaric asked from behind her.

"It didn't say," Caroline replied as she rotated the pot.

"Somebody's got a secret admirer," he laughed. Satisfied with her answer, he turned around and started to put the ground coffee into filters.

"Yeah, lucky me." Caroline bit her lip. She looked up, through the front windows, to the unopened store across the street. She sighed. Monday mornings were truly the worst.

* * *

**Author's Note: WOW! The response to this story is totally overwhelming! Seriously, I was not expecting this. Almost 20 reviews for one chapter! Thank you guys so much for your reviews, it's really encouraging. I hope I can continue to keep you guys invested in this story. I do my best to keep the characters as close as I can to their canon counterparts. Leave a review and tell me what you liked! Thank you guys again ~~  
**

**ps. google what purple hyacinths mean in the language of flowers!**


	3. Chapter 3

For the rest of her Monday shift, from six am until five pm, the pot of hyacinths stared at Caroline. It was like they were taunting her. Charlotte was working drinks, and Caroline was at cash, so every time she'd turn around to ring up a new customer, they were there. A silent reminder, watching her pretend to ignore them and what they represented.

At 4:55, Caroline was practically itching to go. Alaric had just returned from running some errands, and was having a conversation with some of the regulars at the front of the store. Caroline hopped from foot to foot as she cleaned one of the machines.

Finally, Alaric made his way to the back of the counter. He put down the grocery bags he'd been carrying, and started to empty them out. When he'd finished, he looked up to see Caroline staring at him intently. He chuckled.

"You can go, Caroline. I'll _try_ to handle Charlotte." Alaric joked, earning an indignant "Hey!" from Charlotte and a grin from Caroline. Relief swam through her; finally, she would be free of the hyacinths.

She pulled off her apron, and hung it up on the wall in the back. Her trench coat was hanging neatly beside it, and she threw it on over her shoulders. Her muscles groaned with the unfamiliar movement. Caroline was thankful she'd chosen a comfy pair of worn-in jeans and a zip-up gray sweater today. She checked the pocket of her coat, and feeling the familiar weight of her phone there, relaxed.

As she walked to the outside of the counter, she gave Alaric and Charlotte a wave. They smiled at her, and tapped their heads with their hands at almost the same time. Caroline frowned and reached up. Oh. She was still wearing her visor. Shaking her head, she walked to the register and handed it to Charlotte.

"Head in the clouds today, Care," Charlotte laughed as she took the hat.

Caroline shrugged. She didn't know the half of it. And if she did, she'd only tease the blonde for about, oh, eternity. Giving those purple hyacinths one last look, Caroline turned and walked out of Saltzman's Brew.

Lost in her thoughts, she nearly knocked over the chalkboard sign out front, and as she grabbed it and set it right, she frowned.

_Enjoy our fall flavours!_

The ad had a little turkey drawn underneath it. Alaric's artistry was very recognizable. And bad, but it was practically a trademark at the shop.

Caroline couldn't believe she'd forgotten Thanksgiving was this Thursday. She'd been so busy with work it had totally slipped her mind. Her mom still hadn't emailed or called yet, which was also to blame. Liz Forbes enjoyed her family holidays, even if she didn't have the most relatives around the table.

As she continued walking down the sidewalk, Caroline started a mental checklist to prepare for Thanksgiving. Ever since she moved out, she was in charge of the pumpkin pie. It was the one recipe she was good at. Caroline didn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen; she was never really the housewife type.

If the family dinner was on Thursday, she could expect a call tomorrow. Or today, whichever fit into her mom's busy schedule. In any case, she needed to go to the supermarket and pick up some ingredients. She had the rest of the day to plan out her week, and planning was one of Caroline's favourite things. She smiled to herself as she crossed the road, heading towards her supermarket.

Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He felt like he was on the verge of a migraine, after listening to Rebekah talk for the better part of an afternoon. He been having a great day before she got there; woke up at noon, headed for his studio, blasted some cinematic music to paint to, when his sister barged in, guns blazing.

The guy she met at the club was being a _total douche _or something. All his texts were monotone and ended with 'lol'. He was all vague about everything. Rebekah suspected he had a girlfriend, and was now regretting her night of passion with him. All things Klaus did not care to know. He put his paintbrush down on the table, lest he give in to the urge to stab himself.

"Rebekah," he said, interrupting her. She turned and looked at him from across the room, where she had been inspecting one of his paintings.

"What?"

"Sister, I love you. Very much so."

"Okay?"

"But if you don't stop talking about this, I am not responsible for my actions. And they will be dire." He said seriously.

Rebekah scoffed. "Don't be an ass." She grabbed her purse off a chair. "I'm gonna go shopping. Did you know it was Thanksgiving on Thursday?"

Klaus shook his head. He always had trouble remembering holidays in different countries. So many things to celebrate.

"Well, God knows we won't be having a family dinner. Maybe you can buy a bottle of Scotch and drink yourself into a coma." She smiled sweetly, turned on her heel, and left.

He glared after her for a moment, and then picked up his paintbrush again. His canvas was smothered in a smorgasbord of colors; a layer of deep purple hues, fading in intensity, splashed with golden yellow. The effect was quite bright and contrasting. Looking at it now, he found that his desire to create was all but drained from him. He dropped the paintbrush in frustration. Leave it to Rebekah to bleed him dry of anything he enjoyed.

Klaus picked up the still-wet canvas and moved it to the back of the room to dry. He made his way through his open-concept condo to the kitchen, and washed his hands in the sink. They were smeared with purple streaks of paint almost to his elbows. Fortunately, to save his clothes, Klaus always painted shirtless. He dried his hands off on a dish towel, and grabbed the shirt he'd left on the counter.

His stomach let out a loud growl, and Klaus chuckled to himself. He hadn't even eaten breakfast yet. He spent so much time flying around in different time zones, remembering to eat proper meals often slipped his mind. But now, stationary in Virginia, it was hard to ignore the pang of hunger he felt.

The fridge was empty (except for the necessary liquor), the cabinets bare (except for the necessary tea products). It was a new condo; he'd only moved in about a week ago and since then, had been eating out almost every night, and ordering in when he didn't. As a result, there was hardly a calorie's worth of genuine food in the apartment. A trip to the market was in order.

Caroline clasped her hands in front of her lips, deep in thought. She was nearly finished shopping, her cart full of necessities and Thanksgiving essentials, when she'd stopped down the snack aisle. A grave decision was at hand now; buy a pack of Fruit Roll-ups, or continue her life as a responsible adult.

The snack was on sale. Decision made. She dropped the box into her full cart and made her way to the checkout. The rack of trashy celeb magazines called to Caroline and she thumbed her way through an issue as she waited.

Finally the line lurched forward, and Caroline began to unload her groceries onto the conveyor belt. It had looked like a lot less inside her cart. She bit her lip as she watched the total go up with every barcode.

"Your total is $110.81,"

Caroline handed her debit card over to the cashier and typed her PIN into the little number pad. _Approved, _the little screen said, but she still felt anxious.

Caroline was not a big spender, especially not on food. She could probably live for a month on noodle packets and microwaveable Jamaican patties. The only things she would splurge her money on were clothes. Because those lasted her years, when food only lasted until she ate it. But maybe her priorities were backwards.

She filled her reusable grocery bags with her purchases, and heaved them off the counter. The bags were filled to the brim, but fortunately Caroline's upper body strength had been developing slowly but surely from moving supplies in the back of Saltzman's Brew. And those long legs weren't just for aesthetics.

She made her way back to her building, only a few blocks from the supermarket. First, she had to drop off and put away the load of groceries, before heading downtown to the organic, high-end market. Caroline almost never shopped down there, because it was so expensive, but the pumpkins at her regular store weren't up to her standards today.

An hour later, she was riding the bus as it slowly made its way towards June's, the choice market of the rich and green.

Klaus squeezed a tomato in his fist gently, testing the ripeness of it. Satisfied, he filled a small plastic bag with a few perfectly red specimens. With that final addition, he had enough food to last him the week, and the ingredients for tonight's dinner. He pushed his cart to the checkout.

The cashier was a lovely young lady with bright eyes and an easy smile. Her gaze flicked over Klaus from his waist to his forehead, and she was apparently impressed, as he earned a flirty grin from her. He replied appropriately with a smirk.

"Your total is $339."

Klaus pulled his wallet from his front pocket and flipped out his credit card. He knew this was an organic store or something, but for a week's worth of groceries for _one person_, it was a little bit expensive. It wasn't that he didn't have the money, he was just surprised. Klaus rarely paid attention to price tags before he paid for things.

"Thanks, Sandra," he purred after she gave him his receipt. She blushed, and giggled accordingly.

Klaus carried his groceries out into the parking lot, easily holding the four bags. The fall winds whipped around his feet as he walked. The temperature had started to steadily drop the last few days, and showed no signs of stopping. Soon he'd have to wear more than just a Henley shirt to go outside.

As he closed the back door of his car, the last of the bags inside, something blonde moved in the corner of his eye. He turned his head to investigate. _Oh_. A smile pulled at his lips, and his heart stuttered unexpectedly.

Caroline was marching across the parking lot, long legs clad in faded skinny jeans, a grey sweater hugging her chest. She was holding a small orange thing in her hands, and as she came closer to Klaus, he realized it was a pumpkin. Her head was turned away from him, so she didn't see him approach her.

"Caroline!" He greeted her, stepping out from the side of his car.

She turned and yelped in surprise, her fingers splaying and dropping the pumpkin. It landed with a wet _thud_ on the pavement, its stringy insides oozing from a crack. Klaus grimaced.

Caroline couldn't believe her luck. First, she had ridden the bus the whole way sitting beside an old man who was 'asleep' leaning on her shoulder; second, it had taken her longer than she expected to choose a pumpkin, because she kept getting distracted by the hot employee and now she was really hungry; and third, she'd run into Klaus Mikaelson and dropped her best pumpkin.

He looked annoyingly good. That black Henley was doing him all kinds of favours, and his jeans saddled low on his hips. Caroline suddenly felt underdressed; which was silly, considering she was almost wearing the same outfit as him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Klaus said sincerely, crouching to pick up the broken pumpkin. He pushed the gooey contents back inside and fit the shell together, then held it out to her. "Good as new?"

Caroline scoffed. "Hardly. That was a four dollar pumpkin."

"Really? Why?" Klaus frowned, inspecting the orange sphere. It was only about eight inches in diameter.

"It's an organic pie pumpkin. Actually, now it's a useless smashed vegetable, but I digress." She crossed her arms, looking at him defiantly.

"Pumpkins are fruits."

"What?"

"Well, technically, berries, but you'd never call it a berry, would you?" The expression on Caroline's face told Klaus she wasn't interested in his botanical facts, and he backtracked. "I keep running into you. Honestly, I'm inclined to think it's destiny."

"Or bad luck." Caroline narrowed her eyes. "I got your flowers, by the way."

Klaus' face brightened. "Did you like them?"

"That's irrelevant. Could you, you know, _not _send me gifts at my place of work? Especially when it's the same place you're planning to run out of business?" She snapped.

"I can't exactly send them to your house. I don't even know your last name, love." Klaus couldn't help but smile at her; she was so adorable when she got all ruffled. "I'm not planning to run anybody out of business." He added innocently.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Very likely. You can put that pumpkin down, it's compost now."

Klaus held on to the pumpkin, and started to walk back to the store. "I'll buy you another, love. It's my fault."

She turned as he walked past her, infuriated. Truth be told, she _did _need another pie pumpkin, but she didn't want this smug bastard paying for it. "No, no it's okay. I'll buy my own." She replied, speed-walking to catch up with him.

The pumpkins were sold outside the building; the pie variety in small wooden crates, and the large, carving ones beside the stand on the pavement. A young, male employee stood behind the pumpkins, smiling warmly to Caroline.

"Back so soon?" He said teasingly, and Caroline laughed. He really was cute.

Klaus watched their interaction with narrowed eyes. He had half a mind to toss the broken fruit at the boy and see how much he flirted with a face full of pumpkin mush.

"Yeah, _somebody_ made me drop my pumpkin," Caroline looked pointedly to the scowling Brit beside her. His mouth twitched.

"Try to be more careful next time!" The employee laughed, as Caroline picked through the crates.

"Noted, mate." Klaus said coolly. He shared a tense few seconds of eye contact with him, before the boy looked away.

"Here, this one will do." Caroline pulled the pumpkin out of the crate and dropped it onto the scale. Just above three pounds.

"That'll be $4.25."

Caroline dug the change out of her pocket before Klaus had the chance to intervene. She dropped the bills and coins into the boy's hand, and smiled at him. He gave her a cheeky grin as she turned. The bus stop was across the parking lot, thankfully empty.

Klaus stared at the younger man until he looked over, and then while Caroline's back was turned, dropped the broken pumpkin onto the ground without breaking eye contact. The boy frowned nervously. Then Klaus turned on his heel and caught up with his favourite blonde.

"Friendly," he said in a mean tone.

"Yeah, and cute too!" Caroline replied brightly, without stopping.

Klaus scoffed. "Wait," He called, not wanting to be left again, "would you like to have tea with me?"

Caroline stopped and looked at him. "Where?"

"At my condo, it's not too far from here, and it's getting dark. I'd hate to let you bus home at night." Klaus offered, holding out his hands. "Especially with a pumpkin of that calibre."

Caroline bit her lip. She really didn't want to bus. But she also didn't want to seem eager to go to his home.

"Did I mention that my tea can't be bought in stores? It's exclusive, executive tea reserved for the family. So, I mean, if you're not interested, I understand…" Klaus trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

Caroline resisted the urge to smile at his cuteness. It was infuriating, the way he looked at her with those deep blue eyes. "Fine. But only because I'm a corporate spy and I have to discover all your dirty little secrets."

Klaus smiled, revealing his dimples. "All you have to do is ask, love."

He led her back to his car, opening the passenger door for her like a gentleman. She gave him a fake curtsey as she got inside the large SUV.

After he'd pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road, the car settled into an uneasy sort of silence. Caroline fidgeted with the pumpkin on her lap, avoiding Klaus looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Unable to bear it any longer, she reached out and turned the radio on.

It was an old tune, _Blackbird. _When Caroline recognized the first few notes, she turned the dial up.

"You like the Beatles." Klaus said, raising his eyebrows.

"So do like, millions of people." She rebuffed, and turned her head to look out the window so he couldn't see her smiling.

Klaus watched the glow of the streetlights pass over her body, paying as much attention as he could to the way her hair danced in the light without driving off the road. He had been surprised that she'd actually got into his car, and now that she was there, couldn't think of what to say. So he settled for sitting silently with her as they listened to a Beatles marathon on the radio.

When they pulled into the underground parking lot, Caroline did her best to hide her awe. This building, if she wasn't mistaken, was one of the most expensive complexes in the entire city. The condominiums could go for upwards of a million dollars. She swallowed thickly.

Klaus opened the passenger door and she hopped out. As he got the groceries out of the backseat, Caroline stepped forwards.

"Here, let me help," she said as she took two of the bags, slipping her prized pumpkin into one.

Klaus nodded in appreciation, though he would have gladly taken the bags, if only to show off for her. He led her to the elevator and they rode up to the lobby in silence. Inside, the receptionist waved Klaus through, and Caroline could practically see the hearts in her eyes.

The second elevator ride, Caroline shuffled her feet nervously. There were butterflies in her tummy. She blamed it on the elevator. Yeah, that was it. Not the tall, gorgeous man beside her, who'd invited her back to his place for a drink. Well, for tea, but that was still technically a drink.

The doors opened and Klaus strutted towards the end of the hall, ignoring all the doors lining it. Caroline followed behind him.

At the end of the hallway, he stopped to pull a card out of his pocket. Caroline realized they were standing at the doors of another elevator. Instead of two buttons, it had an intercom, a number pad, and a tiny slot. Klaus slid the card in, typed in a series of numbers, and the doors slid open with a _ding._

He ushered her inside, smiling inwardly at her blatant confusion. Inside there were no floor numbers, just two arrows, pointing up and down, and an emergency stop button. Klaus thumbed the up arrow, and they ascended in silence.

The doors slid open, revealing to Caroline a jaw-dropping, open concept condo. She rushed inside, her eyes as big as dinner plates as she took in the luxury of it all. The kitchen was close to the elevator, so she went there first, dropping her bags of groceries on the smooth marble counters. Then she raced around to the living room, to look out the huge glass windows that almost made up the entire east wall. The view was spectacular, all the city lights blinking in the dusk, the red and yellow lines of cars as they drove down below. She pressed her forehead against the glass and looked down, feeling a wave of vertigo. It was like being a giant.

Klaus watched her charge around his apartment, amused. His penthouse was impressive, he knew, but he'd grown used to it. Private elevators and the best view a city can offer were just commonplace to Klaus. It was refreshing to see it through someone else's eyes. He dropped the groceries off beside hers, and walked over to the windows.

"This is amazing." Caroline sighed, her breath clouding the glass.

Klaus leaned forward and did as she did, looking down at the streets. He couldn't focus on the blur of cars however, as he was distracted by the nearness of Caroline. Their shoulders were nearly touching, and he could feel the heat of her body radiating through the material of her sweater. Steeling himself, he pulled away from the window and strode back to the kitchen.

She remained at the windows as he emptied most of the grocery bags, filling the cabinets and refrigerator with food. At last, the penthouse actually looked inhabited. Klaus put the pumpkin on the counter beside the sink. Then he grabbed the kettle and filled it with water.

"Impressed?" He called to her, and she snapped up.

Caroline walked back to the kitchen, sitting on one of the bar stools on the opposite side of the counter.

"Impressed? No. Nauseous, maybe." She replied seriously, but her eyes danced. "So, this is what a penthouse looks like on the inside...I expected more debauchery."

Klaus grinned as he rooted through a black cabinet. "It's only Monday."

He emerged with a glossy pink teapot, the lid stilled wrapped with plastic. He pulled the film off and tossed it into the garbage bin beneath the sink. Caroline giggled.

"I was expecting something more 'family heirloom'-ish? It's just a little teapot." She replied to his indignant look.

Klaus smiled, his gaze turning distant. "Sort of a family joke. Open a new location; get a cheap teapot as a housewarming gift. Joke's on Kol, I actually like pink."

He filled it to the brim with hot water, and then set it aside. "What do you know about tea? Do they teach you anything at Solomon's?"

"_Saltzman's._" Caroline corrected, "and not much, honestly. The only tea I drink is green and that's when I'm trying to lose weight. I'm definitely on Team Coffee."

"Oh, love. Watch and learn," Klaus said just as the kettle boiled. Immediately, he emptied the water from the teapot. He turned and grabbed a vintage-looking jar off the counter. The contents slightly resembled coffee grounds to Caroline, but larger and stringier.

Using a small spoon, he scooped some of the tea leaves out and dropped it into the teapot. Caroline smiled at the serious expression on his face. He just looked so into what he was doing.

Klaus took the kettle and filled the teapot with water, keeping his face back to avoid getting burnt by the steam. When it was filled to his satisfaction, he popped the lid back on top.

"It's steeping." He clarified, noticing the tilt of Caroline's head. "You've gotta let the tea stand to get the strongest flavor."

"Oh," she replied, slightly disappointed. "Now what?"

"We could talk."

"What do you wanna talk about?" Caroline asked, putting her hands on her chin.

Klaus leaned across the counter casually, her posture almost feline. "You. Your hopes and dreams, everything you want in life…"

Caroline laughed and raised her hands over her cheeks to hide the blush. He always spoke with such intensity, it was unnerving. And that quiet confidence, the knowledge in his eyes that he had complete control of the situation, made her stomach jump. But she couldn't let him know that.

"Look, so we're clear; I'm too smart to be seduced by you." She shot back, shrugging at him.

"That's why I like you." He said simply.

Caroline opened her mouth and then closed it when her reply died on her tongue.

Klaus took the moment of silence to pull out two identical white mugs, a carton of milk, and a bag of sugar. He held the teapot carefully and filled each mug with the same amount of the steaming liquid. Pushing one cup across the counter to Caroline, he smiled.

She lifted it to her mouth and took a cautious sip. She grimaced at the bitterness, sticking her tongue out. Klaus chuckled.

"Two sugars and a splash of milk, and you'll change your tune." He said, dropping a spoonful of sugar into her mug as well as his own. Then he added just a touch of milk to the brew, and watched as the milk mixed with the tea, a dash of white inside the orange. A quick stir with the spoon, and he pushed the mug back over.

Caroline stared at the creamy, brown mixture suspiciously. Klaus nodded encouragingly, raising his mug to have a long drink. She took a breath and then brought the cup to her lips.

It went down smooth. It was nice; not too sweet, but warm and inviting and comfortable. She took another drink, pleased.

"Lovely, right?" Klaus held his mug in one hand.

"Yeah, actually. It's nice! I'm not switching teams or anything, but I can say it's good." Caroline said, after swallowing another gulp.

"Oh, high praise." He replied sarcastically, placing a hand over his heart. They both laughed.

A healthy silence settled over them as they drank their tea. Klaus watched Caroline's eyes dart around the kitchen, then flick up to catch his gaze. A light blush flooded her cheeks again as she looked away. Klaus wondered if her skin would blush the same beneath her clothes, if the creamy silk of her chest bloomed in a different—

"Who's this?" Rebekah's voice had a glacial effect on Klaus.

He turned sharply to see his sister, hands filled with plastic bags, perfectly plucked brow furrowed. She had come in silently, while he was lost in thought. Klaus regained his composure quickly.

"This is Caroline. Caroline, this is my sister, Rebekah."

Caroline slid off the stool and extended her hand towards the blonde woman, who shook it reluctantly. She regarded Caroline with cool detachment. "Charmed, I'm sure."

"Are you having tea? Is that the loose leaf?" Rebekah's eyes dropped to the counter, and to the two mugs and teapot.

Klaus pursed his lips. "Yes, just having a cup."

"Sharing your executive stash with some American girl? And yet you won't give it to me." She dropped her plethora of bags to the floor and crossed her arms.

Caroline tried to ignore the slight, and attempted to shrink her body to half its size by sheer force of mental will. The tension in the air was thick between the siblings.

"Rebekah, I would give you my entire jar if you left now. As in, right now." Klaus said, his smile tightly-lipped.

"Fine," she said curtly, "is she staying for dinner?"

"No!" Caroline answered before Klaus could reply. Both Mikaelson's turned to look at her; Klaus with disappointment, Rebekah with a superior smile.

Caroline drained her mug of tea, setting it back on the counter with a clang. She grabbed her pumpkin, and started to make her way towards the elevator. Rebekah picked up her bags and left the two alone, shooting her brother a righteous smirk.

"I really should get going, you know," Caroline insisted.

"You can stay for dinner, it's really no trouble."

"Oh no, I'm sure you and Rebekah have lots to discuss. I'll just call a taxi, it's fine."

Klaus paused, standing a few feet away from Caroline. He took a deep breath and followed her to the doors, near enough to see the pupils of her eyes dilate.

"Thank you for your company," he said in a low voice.

Caroline pressed the down button, and the doors slid open. "No problem. I mean, thank you for the tea."

She quickly stepped into the elevator. Klaus stood just outside, hands clasped behind him.

"It's Forbes, by the way," She said as the doors started to shut. "Caroline Forbes."

Klaus gave her a dimpled grin. "Goodnight, Caroline."

"Goodnight, Klaus." Caroline clasped the pumpkin to her chest, and elevator began to fall.

* * *

**Author's Note: I just wanted to take a moment to explain something. Dark Klaus fans might not be satisfied by Klaus in this story, because I find it hard to keep him totally true to his canon self when he is a human, but rest assured, I do plan on showing Klaus' darker side a little later on. It's just that Caroline brings out the best in him, as we all know :P, and we've really only seen him around her. Also, the only similarity between this story and 50 shades of grey is the fact that Klaus is wealthy and experienced and Caroline is less affluent. But other than that, they're pretty different. I mean , I hope. Long author's note, my bad. I usually update once a week, as that gives me time to make longer chapters for you guys. OK, I'm done. Leave a review if you liked. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

"I was under the impression that it would be delivered Wednesday. I'm standing in store right now, on Thursday, and it's not here." Klaus growled. He resisted the urge to smash his phone into a thousand pieces against the wall.

"No, I understand it will be delivered tomorrow. But I'm not _fucking _happy about that." He wrenched the phone from his ear like it had burned him. The speaker was still buzzing with apologies when he pressed _END_. The electrician turned back to his wires, pretending not to have been listening to the show.

An aggravated sigh left his lips. Few things made Klaus angry like the incompetence of other people, and their lack of punctuality. Klaus planned things on a clean, organized schedule; made as such that if one item was out of order, it would knock the entire agenda askew.

Now he was standing surrounded by boxes of merchandise without any tables to put them on. And it wasn't as though he could make a call to order different furniture; the Mikaelson Tea House locations were near-exact replicas of the original store in London. The vintage driftwood tables were key contributors to the rustic feel of the store. The exposed wood beams that extended into the high ceiling; the fireplace in the middle of the store, encased within a rectangular prism of glass; the light fixtures that were in the process of being hung from the ceiling; it was all to create a final, market-approved blend of log-cabin-cozy and 21st-century-cool. And if one thing was out of sync, the image just didn't work.

"Such a professional."

Klaus rolled his eyes and turned around to face the source of the scolding voice. Elijah, his eldest and most judgemental sibling, stood in the front of the shop, having been let in by Klaus' personal assistant. His dark hair was shorter than it had been since Klaus had last seen him, but his suit was as impeccable as ever. It wouldn't surprise him if Elijah slept in a silk three piece.

"Elijah, my favourite father figure. To what do I owe your intrusion?" Klaus said through clenched teeth.

Elijah smiled and walked closer to his brother, scanning the room with his dark eyes. Checking for any imperfections, Klaus knew. The standards of the Tea House were universal, and a mistake in one reflected on the entire franchise.

"I thought I might check in, just to make sure you hadn't burnt too many of our bridges." He replied, his gaze settling on his brother. "Katherine was experiencing some wanderlust so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone."

Klaus wrinkled his nose at the mention of his brother's wife. "Efficient. I trust then you'll be staying for the opening?"

"Of course, if only to show my support of your venture in this town. Perhaps one day I can understand why you chose Richmond of all places." Elijah put his hands in his pockets and strode past his brother to inspect the unfinished counter.

Klaus followed him. "The granite will be in tomorrow. I assume you'll be staying at the Jefferson then?"

"Yes, unless you're opening your penthouse doors to us." He glanced at his younger 'brother's face, and chuckled at his expression. "I thought not."

"I've already got Bex staying with me. And she's taking up the third bedroom with all her shopping bags. It's getting very crowded."

"Ah, Rebekah. You're supposed to be showing her the ropes, aren't you? Where is our lovely sister?" Elijah turned in a small circle, gesturing to her lack of presence.

Rebekah was the youngest of the Mikaelson children, and the last to open a shop. When Klaus announced his plans to open a location in Richmond, his sister decided to tag along to get a taste of the work involved. Klaus spent nearly a year in London working from HQ with his staff to make his second store a reality, and when he moved to the US to head into the final phase of construction, his sister came with him. She was young and inexperienced, but a whip-smart businesswoman. Unfortunately, Klaus had always been a bit of a dictator and suffice to say it had led to a few arguments between them.

As such, Rebekah was probably off having her toenails painted.

"Meeting with an advertising agent for lunch," Klaus replied, having had said meeting only a few hours before.

Elijah nodded, but his expression was dubious. "It's Thanksgiving today. Maybe you would like to join us for dinner?"

Klaus had all but forgotten about the holiday, he'd been so busy with work the past few days. "Who's us?"

"Katherine, Kol's flown in from New York, and I've already texted Rebekah. Finn's in Delhi with Mother, but otherwise it will be a family dinner."

"Am I to offer my residence as the setting? Cook a traditional turkey, or will Katherine be offering her skills?" Klaus said sarcastically. They both knew very well Elijah's wife was hardly as homemaker.

"A turkey dinner? Are we farmers, Klaus? No, I've made reservations at a five-star steakhouse." Elijah straightened his tie with conviction.

Rebekah had likely already agreed to the dinner; seeing as she was the youngest and hardly ever got to see her family, always off in twenty different countries. If he didn't go, Klaus would likely be eating alone somewhere, which seemed doubly sad on Thanksgiving. He sighed.

"Fine. I'll make an appearance."

Elijah gave his younger brother a small smile. "Excellent. I'm sure Rebekah will tell you all the details."

The dark-haired Mikaelson made his way to the door, giving Mindy a curt nod. Before he left, he turned back to his brother. "Those beams definitely need a darker stain." He said, and stepped outside.

Klaus scowled at the door as it swung shut. Then he looked up to the rafters and realized, scornfully, that Elijah was right. With a growl of annoyance, he waved his hand at Mindy, who began typing furiously on her phone to get in touch with the wood guy.

* * *

Caroline sat with her hands folded on her lap. The bus had pulled into a rest stop, and most of the riders had gotten off to use the bathroom or grab some lunch. Caroline stayed put simply because she was too comfortable to get up. And being comfortable on a greyhound was a rare experience that she wanted to prolong indefinitely.

She didn't have a car in the city, having sold it a few years back when she was truly desperate for some cash. It wasn't so bad. She saved on gas money, and spent a lot of time walking places. If anything, selling her car had helped Caroline stay in shape.

A flood of riders were returning to their seats now, some holding packets of candy or burgers. Caroline ignored the growl from her stomach, focusing on the delicious dinner she would be having in only a few hours. Her pumpkin pie was packed away neatly in her bag, and was the most tempting item on the bus.

She'd made the dessert Tuesday night at work, because the oven there was more reliable than the one at her house and Alaric didn't mind. There'd been so much filling for the pie that she had enough to make a smaller, crust-less pie to eat for later. It was currently waiting in the Saltzman's Brew refrigerator.

The bus hummed to life and began to pull back onto the highway, shaking Caroline from her delicious, pie-filled thoughts. Just another hour and she'd be home in Mystic Falls, aka Nostalgia City.

* * *

"Nik, are you coming to dinner or not?"

Klaus finished typing his email and clicked send. With an exaggerated grumble, he closed the laptop. Rebekah had been getting ready for the last hour, and as soon as he sat down to use the time to work, she was done.

He stood up from his desk, rolling his shoulders back. He'd gotten dressed into his evening best about two hours ago. It was very Elijah-like, to be working from home while wearing a tailored suit. Maybe Klaus was slowly becoming his brother. He shivered at the thought, and then made his way to the foyer of his apartment.

Rebekah was tapping her foot impatiently, reading something on her phone screen. She was wearing a simple white lace dress with a high neckline; and with her blonde hair swept into a chignon, she almost looked like a responsible adult.

"Ready to go?" She said when she looked up.

Klaus grabbed his car keys off the counter. He gave the bottom of his black jacket a quick tug, feeling strangely self-conscious. He shook the sentiment from his head and stepped forward to his sister, holding the crook of his arm out.

"Shall we?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes but slipped her arm through his all the same.

* * *

Caroline was halfway out of her seat before the bus had evens topped inside the station. She could see Liz Forbes waiting dutifully for her inside the terminal, and her heart clenched happily.

When the bus driver opened the doors, Caroline made sure to get up fast and rush borderline-rudely to the front, holding her bags haphazardly. She shot the driver a megawatt smile as she got off the vehicle.

"Care!" Liz greeted her daughter with open arms. Caroline half-jogged into her mother's arms, embracing her into a tight hug. They stayed like that for a moment, enjoying the closeness of each other.

Caroline came back home to see her mom much less than she'd like to. Liz, as sheriff, was usually too busy dealing with the petty crime of Mystic Falls to drive up to Richmond; but really, nothing bad ever happened. It was the sleepiest little town in Virginia, from Caroline's point of view.

Pulling back from the hug slowly, Caroline mirrored her mom's wide smile. "Hey, mom."

Liz's hands dropped to her belt, resting there in the classic sheriff pose. At least she hadn't worn her holster to the station. Caroline breathed a silent prayer of thanks.

"So tell me what's been going on," Caroline said as the pair turned and headed to the patrol car parked outside. "Don't leave out any gory details." Surely there must have been some good gossip over the past few months that she had missed. Liz raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

* * *

Klaus brought the car to stop in the parking lot of the steakhouse. Rebekah hopped out of the passenger side, and smoothed her dress down. The air had a slight nip to it, as winter slowly drew closer, and she shivered. The youngest Mikaelson took a moment to fix her hair in the reflection of the window.

"Are you _nervous_?" Klaus asked incredulously, after he walked around to the other side of the SUV to see what was taking her so long.

Rebekah went rigid, and then turned to her brother with a sardonic smile. "No, I'm not nervous at all. Bloody Elijah's going to ask me all these questions about the shop, Nik. He doesn't think I'm ready."

Klaus held his elbow out towards her, a smirk on his lips. "_Well_…"

"Oh, don't be an ass." She said snidely, ignoring his offered arm. They walked in unison towards the entrance of the restaurant. In front of the large, glass doors, Rebekah took a deep breath.

"You're ready," Klaus said quietly, and when she shot him an affectionate look, he added, "Or as ready as you'll ever be."

He held the door open for her, and she sauntered past him inside. The atmosphere within the restaurant had a classic 20's vibe; soft jazz music played in the background to the sounds of the dining room, and there were extravagant chandeliers hanging everywhere. Klaus gave it a nod of approval.

"Hello sir, do you have a reservation?" A cheery dark haired man had stepped forward, outfitted in a dark tuxedo.

"Mikaelson," Rebekah said with a smile, straightening so that she stood a little taller. Her brother stifled a laugh.

The maître d' took a moment to browse through a screen on the podium. "Ah, yes! Right this way please!" He smiled, grabbed two menus, and began to lead them through the restaurant.

As they made their way to the back, Klaus suddenly remembered something. "You had lunch with an advertising agent today."

"What? No I didn't, you did." Rebekah replied, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes, but I told Elijah you did to make you look better. So just be ready for that." Klaus kept his eyes trained on the back of the maître d', careful to avoid the glare his sister was surely sending him.

"Well _thanks _for that, you wanker!" She hissed under her breath. Klaus chuckled.

Finally they had arrived at the large corner table at the back of the restaurant. It was probably the most expensive table, if Klaus knew his eldest brother at all. And there he was, hair perfectly combed, sitting beside his wife. Kol had apparently missed the memo about the suits, as he was dressed conspicuously in a brown leather jacket.

"Ah, Niklaus, Rebekah. Please, join us!" Elijah smiled at his siblings and gestured to the two remaining seats at the table.

Klaus decided to choose the lesser of two evils and took the seat beside Kol, leaving Rebekah to sit next to Katherine. He would pay dearly for that later, he was sure.

"Nik!" Kol exclaimed, clapping his older brother on the shoulder. Klaus took in the appearance of his rowdiest brother. Beneath his worn jacket, he was wearing a dark green sweater and a pair of black jeans. Hardly formal attire.

"Do I pass inspection? Give me a break; I just landed an hour ago." Kol held his hands out innocently. "Should I wear a suit while I fly? Who am I, Elijah?"

At the playful jab, Klaus broke out into a wide grin and drew in his brother for a sideways hug. Across the table, Elijah rolled his eyes and took a long sip of wine. Katherine patted his hand sympathetically, but swallowed her own laugh.

Once everyone had settled in and said their 'hello's, they fell into a silence. Kol took the chance to eye a lovely young lady across the dining room from over her date's shoulder. Elijah stared at his siblings from the top of his wine glass, and opened his mouth to speak, when the waiter arrived.

"Red for the whole table," Elijah said diplomatically, and the waiter began to fill everyone's glasses. "We'll need some time with the menu, thank you."

When the waiter nodded and left, Elijah leaned forward, raising his glass towards the middle of the table. "Happy Thanksgiving."

The table had a collective eye roll but all leaned in to clink their glasses with Elijah. As he drank, Klaus noticed Katherine looking somewhat uncomfortable.

"Thanksgiving, what a daft holiday." Rebekah snickered, "Should we go around the table and say what we're thankful for?"

Kol and Klaus both chuckled. The idea was somewhat sentimental for a Mikaelson gathering. So when Elijah raised his eyebrows in consideration, they were suitably surprised.

"I'm thankful for my beautiful wife," Elijah said, casting a look to Katherine, who smiled demurely and clasped his hand, "for my siblings and for our success."

"Are we really gonna do this?" Kol groaned. "Am I in a holiday special?"

"I'm thankful for my family," Rebekah piped up. "Because no matter what happens, we stay together. Always and Forever."

The Mikaelson brothers all gave their sister looks of affection of varying degrees.

Kol sighed dramatically. "I'm thankful for my family, of course, blah blah blah," he rolled his eyes, "but I'm also thankful for my dashing good looks, my irresistible charm, and the women that fall for both."

Klaus snorted. Rebekah scoffed. Elijah looked at his youngest brother disdainfully. Seeking to erase that dialogue from everyone's collective consciousness, Kat spoke up.

"I'm very grateful for my loving husband," She sighed, and then grinned wickedly, "and all the money that came with him."

Everyone laughed at that, and the tension of the dinner melted away slightly. Kat reached upwards to place a soft kiss on the underside of Elijah's jaw, and his smile grew. She was only kidding, they all knew; Katherine was born into a very rich family, and had a savings account that rivalled all of theirs. But every so often, she liked to play the gold-digger card, just to tease her husband.

* * *

Caroline pulled the pumpkin pie out of the fridge where she had put it to chill. Dinner was finished over an hour ago, and the mother and daughter had spent the rest of the night having casual conversation. But now, it was time for the pie Caroline had been thinking about since she made it.

She opened the cutlery drawer and pulled out a long knife. Holding the knife and pie in each hand, she walked back to the small dining room table where Liz was waiting for her. Her mother looked tired but content after the meal, enjoying the rare company of her grown daughter.

As Caroline carefully cut two equal pieces of pie, she thought back to her earlier conversation with her mom. They'd been talking about recent events in Mystic Falls; football championships, underage drinking, Founder's Day, and all the other regular stuff in the town. Liz seemed weary as she told Caroline about the hum-drum of daily life. She almost sounded bored.

Sliding one perfect slice of pie over to Liz, Caroline affixed her with what she believed to be a piercing stare.

"Mom, what's the deal?" She asked, using the side of her fork to cut through her slice.

Liz tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Caroline swallowed before continuing. "You sound kinda _bored._"

Liz chewed slowly. "This is really good, Care."

Caroline smiled at the praise. Compliments from her mother were usually reserved for big occasions, like prom night, or commencement. Good pie was hardly a big occasion. Caroline narrowed her eyes. It was a distraction.

"Seriously, mom. What's the deal?"

Liz sighed. "It's nothing."

"Mom."

"Maybe I am bored, Caroline; especially with you gone in Richmond. It's…lonely around here." Liz's gaze rose from her plate to her daughter's face, which wa s smirking back at her. "What?"

"Do you…_miss me?_" Caroline laughed. "You freaking loser, oh my god."

Liz looked unimpressed.

"I'm kidding. But really mom, why don't you just call me?"

"I still do get busy with work sometimes, you know. Even if I'm not dealing with your friends anymore."

Caroline chuckled. Back in the day, when she was in high school, her friend group was known to raise some trouble. Those few years must have been the most exciting time for the town, and its law enforcement, she realized.

"And isn't that a blessing," Caroline shook her head at the memories. "We were such little _shits._"

Liz laughed. "Yes, you were. But you were good kids, deep down under your teenage exteriors."

* * *

"That's a good steak," Kol sighed as he sawed off another bite with his knife, before shoving it into his mouth.

"Try to act like a human being," Rebekah curled her lip at his behaviour, "not a starved dog."

Klaus watched their interaction, silently amused. His younger siblings, so close in age, had a way of getting under each other's skins. Their banter was practically a Mikaelson dinner staple.

"But I _am _a starved dog, Bex," Kol hummed, after washing his steak down with a gulp of wine. "Starved of a good steak."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Send your compliments to the chef."

"I might _buy_ the chef, actually. Or maybe I'll buy the whole restaurant." Kol mused.

Elijah chose that moment to cut in. "So, Klaus, Rebekah, tell me: how's the shop coming along?"

"It's coming together nicely. We've had some trouble with the furniture, but it should all be right as rain in time for the opening." Klaus said smoothly, sliding his arm around the back of his sister's chair. She nodded in agreement.

"Rebekah, I heard you handled a meeting with an advertising agent today, now how did that go?"

The youngest Mikaelson swallowed a gulp of wine before answering. "Good, you know how the Americans love our brand. They'd be idiots not to take the contract."

Klaus raised his eyebrows minutely, proud of her ease in deception. Perhaps she did have a future in business afterall.

"I have to admit, you two have worked together better than I expected." Elijah raised his eyebrows.

"So pleased to have won your approval, brother." Rebekah held her wine glass in a mock salute, causing Klaus to smirk at her feistiness.

Elijah was undaunted. "You should be, as I am acting CEO, if you recall."

The younger Mikaelson siblings let out a collective groan, Kol cupping his hands around his mouth and boo-ing Elijah. The eldest took the response with a shrug. Beside him, his wife was in stitches with laughter.

"So supportive, Katerina." Elijah said. His wife continued to giggle, but laced her fingers through his. "I think it might be time for the cheque."

"Speaking of cheques, Nik, what's your penthouse like?" Kol asked, curling his fist under his chin.

Klaus frowned. "What's my penthouse got to do with cheques?"

"Nothing, but speaking of your penthouse, mind if I crash there tonight?" Kol batted his eyelashes playfully.

Klaus and Rebekah exchanged a look.

"Just one night, come on Nik."

Klaus sighed. "Fine. One night. And don't even think about bringing a plus-one."

"Brother. Your opinion wounds me." Kol put a hand over his heart, wincing.

Rebekah snorted.

* * *

Caroline squeezed her mom tight. The bus had arrived and passengers were beginning to board, so she only had a few minutes left with her mother. If she didn't have work in the morning, she might've stayed the night in her old bedroom.

"Don't forget to call okay? I'll always answer. Probably. I mean, I work a lot, but I'll do my best!" She rambled.

Liz smiled warmly. "I will. Now be safe. I love you."

"I love you too, mom." Caroline waved goodbye and made her way up the steps of the bus. There was an available window seat towards the back, so she went there. Once she was comfortable, she popped in her headphones for the duration of the ride.

About half an hour out of Richmond, Caroline got a text on her phone from Alaric.

_Sorry to bother u, I hope ur not at dinner. Happy Thanksgiving btw. Ok this text has really gotten away from me. Anyways, would u do me a favour and make sure it's all locked up at the Brew? Jenna whisked me away before I could double check._

Caroline smiled at the message. It was only 10:15. She could make a stop before she went home. And that tiny pie was there…calling her name.

_Haha no problem. Happy thanksgiving to you too. Tell jenna hi from me!_

After clicking send, Caroline turned her music back on, deciding to watch the streetlights go by for the rest of the ride.

* * *

Klaus had had a burst of sudden inspiration while driving his sister and brother back from the restaurant. He dropped them off outside the apartment, trusting Rebekah to keep an eye on Kol in the penthouse.

He sped his way over to the soon-to-be-finished shop, parking on the street out front. He unlocked the door and walked inside, flicking on the freshly installed fixtures. They cast the nearly completed store in a delicate, natural light.

Making his way over to the west side of the room, Klaus stared at the bare wall contemplatively. In Mikaelson shops, there wasn't much room for deviation or creativity. The brand was built on uniformity and a look that had been perfected over years of business. But as Klaus stared at the wall, he couldn't help but imagine a large painting hanging there. Perhaps abstract, something modern to give the shop that slight edge it needed.

If he painted it himself, was that obnoxious? Probably not, he rationalized. It's not like he would tell anyone anyways, it would just be a large, anonymous painting on that wall. Klaus grabbed a measuring tape off the counter and measured the parameters of the wall. The canvas, at optimal size, would be seven feet by thirteen. The largest canvas he'd ever used…he'd have to order it tonight if he wanted it in time for the opening.

Satisfied with his trip, Klaus made his way back to the front. He double-checked the lock on the doors, always slightly paranoid. The night was crisp and the streets were dark. Well, mostly.

There were lights on inside the coffee shop. It's a bit late for the café to be open, Klaus thought, but then he saw the slim figure of a blonde woman moving inside.

Caroline slipped inside Saltzman's Brew through the back entrance, using her personal set of keys. She flicked on just the emergency lights instead of turning on all of them. Before letting herself inside, she'd checked the locks on the front door and they were fine, thankfully. Alaric had a way of getting distracted around Jenna.

Concerns about the security of the store aside, Caroline made her way to the large fridge. Inside, her perfect little crust-less pie was waiting for her. She did a little dance in excitement as she pulled it out. Just one slice couldn't hurt. It was a holiday.

She brought the pie to the front, opting to eat it away from the front windows, but close enough that she could look outside. As she sat down at one of the tables, she looked up. There was a black SUV parked across the street, beneath the light of a streetlamp. It looked vaguely familiar. When Caroline's eyes shifted to the man standing beside it, she realized why.

Klaus watched Caroline move around the café. In the dim lighting, only her silhouette and the most basic of her features were visible, but he knew it was her. She had a way of moving that was strictly her own. When she took a seat at one of the tables, alone, Klaus felt a tug in his core. Like she felt it too, her head snapped upwards, and Klaus knew she saw him. He took a deep breath, and made his way across the street.

Caroline tried not to let her internal panic bleed through to her external self. Klaus was walking towards her. He'd seen her. Why was he at his store so late? Why was he coming over? Caroline _knew _why he was coming over. But until she was out of her seat and walking towards the door, she didn't know what she was going to do about it.

Klaus was delighted when she stood up and walked towards him. A few more strides and they were standing there, looking at each other through the window. Klaus smiled at her. She looked lovely, with her hair pulled back into a high ponytail, dressed in a slouchy gray sweater and leggings.

Caroline broke off her eye contact with him, reaching down to unlock the door. She pushed it open for him. He walked inside with a breeze of cool air, pressing the scent of him—of fresh laundry and light cologne— straight into her nose. She realized with a start that he was dressed up more than she had ever seen him, in a tailored black suit that emphasized the broadness of his shoulders. She suddenly felt underdressed.

"Thank you for letting me in," He said brightly, after turning around to face her in the dim light.

"It's only polite. Why were you at the tea house so late?" Caroline walked over to the table were her pie was, waving a hand to offer the seat across the table to him.

Klaus unbuttoned his jacket as he slipped into the chair. "I could ask the same of you."

"My boss told me to lock up," Caroline glanced down at the dessert, "and I left a pie here."

"Is this _the_ pumpkin pie?" Klaus widened his eyes in awe. "It's smaller than I figured."

"Well, I made it from the leftovers. It's like a little baby pie." Caroline fidgeted with her fork. Her heart had started to beat faster as she spoke to him, realizing the intimacy of it all. "What's with the suit?"

"Dinner with the Mikaelson's. They're a bit posh. Well, most of them. Celebrating the holiday, of course. Trying to blend in." Klaus smirked.

"Yeah, I had dinner with my mom," she said casually, "already ate some pie then."

Klaus chuckled at the clear guilt on her face. "And now you want more?"

Caroline frowned.

"Oh, don't pout love, I'm only teasing. In fact, I believe we should indulge in our pleasures more often." Klaus said, his tone lowering. It reminded Caroline of the rumble of thunder before a torrent of summer rain. She bit her lip, aware of the way his eyes flickered to watch the action.

"Fine," she said, and cut into the tiny pie with her fork. Klaus watched her lips close around the utensil and slide off it cleanly.

Caroline wasn't expecting him to reach one of his long arms across the table. She wasn't expecting him to cover her hand with his and lift the fork from her fingers. She wasn't expecting the tingles to shoot from her wrist to her core when he touched her. But he did, and they did. She swallowed the bite thickly.

"Mind if I taste?" He asked softly, and when Caroline only nodded, he smiled. He dipped his fork into the pie where she had taken her chunk, and then inspected it. Satisfied with the appearance of it, he closed his mouth around the fork.

It was surprisingly good. Sweet, and a little spicy, but smooth as it went down. A perfect fall treat. Caroline was apparently the talented chef. He wondered what other talents she was hiding from him.

"That's really good," he praised, giving her a dimpled smile.

"Right? I mean, thank you," Caroline corrected herself, taking the fork back from him. They went back and forth like that for a little while; they enjoyed the silence of each other's presence and the sweet dessert.

When there was only one bite of pie left in the foil tin, Klaus leaned back in his chair, silently offering it to Caroline.

"No thanks," she laughed and rubbed her belly, "this food baby is like, third trimester."

Klaus shrugged and picked up the small morsel with his fingers, dropping it inside his mouth. Caroline watched his suck his thumb of any residue and felt her cheeks heat up. She got to her feet, taking the fork off the table and chucking the pie tin into a garbage can. She went to the sink behind the counter and dropped the fork into it, startled by the loud clanging noise it made.

Klaus watched her bustle about suddenly, her cheeks pink. He loved the way she got flustered and tried to play it off; he thought it was adorable.

"Thank you for the pie, it was very good. I really feel like I've absorbed a piece of American culture." Klaus said half-jokingly. Caroline raised her eyebrows at him as she walked back over.

"It's no trouble," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. She looked down at him, draped over the chair. Klaus chose that moment to stand up.

Caroline froze. He was so close to her, she could feel the heat of his breath as it ghosted across her mouth. His blue eyes were the colour of the sky just before dawn, when it still sparkled with stars. If Caroline took a deep breath, her chest would probably brush against his, and for a moment she allowed herself to think about the possibility—

Klaus tilted his head slightly and it broke the spell. What was she doing? Sharing pie with the enemy, fraternizing with him? In the base of operations, no less. This is where it had all started, too; with that vanilla bean smoothie and the black coffee. Caroline took a step back and turned away.

She had been so close; Klaus could smell her perfume and the way it mingled with her pumpkin-stained breath. It was intoxicating. His head turned instinctively, his body knowing what it wanted. She intrigued him, but he had to be careful; she spooked easily, like a nervous deer ready to run away at any second. And she did. She turned her head and stepped back.

"Do you wanna go on a date with me?" Klaus said quickly, before he lost his nerve. She wasn't rejecting him, he figured, she was challenging him. Challenging him to show her what he had to offer, and he had a lot.

Caroline searched his eyes, and finding only sincerity there, was startled. "Why?"

Klaus laughed. "Why? Because I fancy you. Why not?"

"I shouldn't," Caroline said, but it sounded weak on her lips.

"Take a chance," Klaus smiled, the light of his laughter not yet leaving his eyes. "Get to know me. I'm more than your rival."

"Our _biggest _rival," Caroline corrected with a twitch of her lips.

"I dare you, Caroline Forbes," her name sounded so good rolling off his tongue, dressed in the lilt of his accent. "Just one date. If it goes wrong, you never have to see me again."

Caroline ignored the way her stomach seemed to flip when he said her name. For a moment she wondered why she was resisting him so hard; he seemed like an okay guy, he was nice enough and clearly interested in her. But this year was supposed to be about her; for so long Caroline had been defined by her relationships with men, she hardly knew herself as a single woman. But he was so tempting…

"I need some time." She said finally.

"However long it takes," Klaus replied, feeling victorious. He brought up both hands to grasp her shoulders, felt the heat of her skin radiate through her sweater. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Goodnight, Caroline."

"Goodnight, Klaus." She managed to reply, sounding almost wistful. He turned on his heel and strode into the street like a king, shooting her a smirk before the door closed behind him.

Caroline stood in the empty shop, and wondered if her heart would ever beat at a normal pace again.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait you guys! I had a double shift at work this week and a funeral, so I was a little swamped. Also this chapter was just not agreeing with me. BACKSTORY! [shakes fist] But hey, look! the Original family is here! Yay! Thank you for all the follows, favourites, and reviews! You guys brighten my day and I hope I can continue to keep you interested and invested in this story!**

**Oh, and if you want to follow me on tumblr, my url is deathbypersonality. I mostly just post tvd and cry in tags haha. leave me a review and tell me what you thought about this chapter~**


	5. Chapter 5

Caroline stepped in the door of her apartment, still shivering from the cold. The door shut with a soft click behind her. She took off her coat and hung it on the hook by the door. Slipping off her work shoes, she walked into the kitchen and filled the kettle with water.

She unbuttoned her simple green blouse and as she walked into her bedroom, pulled it off her shoulders. Grabbing an old black hoodie, she threw it on and breathed in the familiar scent. She threw her phone in the pouch. For some reason, the weather had chosen today of all days to be freezing cold, the one time she didn't bring a sweater to work. All day she'd been dreading when the door opened, and spending most of her time beside the steaming machines.

This morning she'd woken up late and gotten dressed half-asleep to make it to work on time. Frankly, she was proud she managed to pick a cute outfit. But now her jeans were way too constricting compared to the comfy hoodie she now wore, so she slid them off her legs and donned a pair of plaid pyjama pants. She collapsed on her bed out of sheer ecstasy. Few feelings compared to the joy of changing out of jeans into sweat pants.

The kettle had boiled. Caroline jumped up and wandered back into the kitchen, taking a mug and a canister as she went. She scooped two spoons of cocoa powder into the mug and then poured the kettle into it. The smell of hot chocolate filled the apartment, its scent immediately relaxing Caroline's muscles. She gave it a quick stir to make sure it had all dissolved. Resisting the urge to drink it right then and burn her tongue, she picked up the mug and walked back to her bedroom.

Caroline placed the mug on her bedside table. She pulled her hair into a messy bun to get it out of her face, and then lied down on her bed. For a moment she just stayed like that, curled on her side, ready to fall asleep. But she had a nagging pull that refused to let her mind rest.

It was two days since Klaus had left his offer open for Caroline, and she was no closer to an answer than she had been 48 hours before. She'd been avoiding the decision, rather choosing to bury herself in the creation of mocha cappuccinos and strawberry smoothies. Problem was, when she threw herself into her work, she couldn't help but think about the competition across the street that was rushing towards its opening. Alaric's heightened state of anxiety didn't help either. He was devouring a pastry every hour.

Lying on her bed, fidgeting with her phone in her hand, Caroline found her thoughts to be scattered. With her still body, she was undistracted and her thoughts crept towards a certain offer. She grabbed the paper pad and pen she kept on the bedside table, for emergencies such as these.

In neat, perfectly-spaced letters, she wrote _Pros and Cons: Klaus Mikaelson_.

She split the yellow legal pad down the center, labelling the sections _Pros_ and _Cons_. Lists like this were sort of Caroline's addiction. To her hyper-organized brain, fewer things brought pleasure like the easy filing of positives and negatives, and weighing the scale in her mind to make a decision. Plus, using her legal pad made her feel really productive on her day off. Especially when she'd been using it to write down her dreams in the morning.

The page she'd just flipped had '_met family of cats which turned out to be the kitten mafia' _scrawled in messy handwriting. A weird dream she had no memory of only minutes after writing that. But writing dreams down was supposed to make them better, or something, according to some online article. Whatever. She flipped the page back over to her current dilemma, and took a deep breath.

_Pro: Totally gorgeous. Might as well start with the obvious. _

_Con: He knows it. Has practically weaponized his attractiveness. _

_Pro: Very well-off. Rich, like crazy rich. _

_Con: I don't want to be seen as a gold digger._

_Pro: He's interested._

_Con: Weirdly interested. Possible hidden motive._

_Pro: Cheekbones. Enough said._

_Pro: Appears to be in good physical condition. Further investigation necessary; possible google search for family vacations?_

_Con: Can be googled. It's way too tempting._

_Pro: Has a large, close-knit family, apparently. I've only met his sister._

_Con: Sister doesn't like me._

_Pro: Sent flowers begging for forgiveness. Totally classy._

_Pro: Owns his own highly successful business._

_Con: Across the street. _Caroline double underlined the last word_._

_Con: Could lose my job to bankruptcy because of him. Maybe. I don't know._

_Con: Alaric could fire me for dating him._

_Con: I'm not even supposed to be dating. I made a promise to myself. I don't even know what I want._

Caroline put the end of the pen between her lips. She chewed the cap for a moment, and let out a long sigh. Grabbing her phone off her duvet, she typed in Elena's number from memory. The line rang twice.

"Hey Care!" Elena sang, in the way that only someone totally in love could.

"Hey, what are you doing right now?"

"Nothing really, we're just about to put in a movie. What's up?"

Caroline drummed the pen on the pad. "So I'm kind of having an issue in regards to a certain British man that you may remember..."

"Klaus? Still? What's the deal?"

"I'm just so conflicted, I can't do this."

"Care you're being so sketchy, what can't you do?"

"He asked me on a date."

"Okay."

"And I told him I needed time."

"Okay."

"And he was like 'however long it takes'. Who says shit like that? He's such an old man…in the body of a hot young guy."

Elena's chuckle sounded tinny through the phone speaker.

"Like he thinks he can just come in all smooth and give me his special tea and share pie with me like he's seducing me!" Caroline huffed.

"Well, is he?"

"Oh my god, I don't even know. Elena, he is _so_ pretty. And sometimes he looks at me and the way his eyes kind of widen and...I can't even explain it."

"That sounds nice, I guess?" Elena laughed again, and Caroline caught the echo of Damon's chuckle. This was _so_ not a conversation she wanted him to hear.

"Yeah it sounds nice, and it _is_ nice but like...okay, I have a confession."

"Oh my god, is he married?" Elena gasped.

"What? _No!_ I can't even believe you said that. It's a personal confession. Okay, I'm not supposed to date anyone this year."

"What? According to who?"

"Me! I kinda decided on my birthday that I would take a year off from like dating and stuff, to figure out what I really want."

Elena scoffed.

"No, seriously!"

"Care that seems a little extreme."

"Honestly, it didn't three months ago! I literally was bouncing around from boyfriend to boyfriend. I just can't let myself be defined by the men that I'm with anymore. But it's just like, such bad timing and circumstances!" Caroline groaned.

"Oh, his tea house, right. When is that opening again?"

"Monday, I think. I've been avoiding that place like the plague."

"Okay, Care, how about this: if you weren't working at the Brew, and if you hadn't sworn off dating or whatever, would you go on the date?"

"I...Yeah. Yes. If I met him a year ago I would so not be having this conversation. But I'm a different woman now, and I made a promise to myself, and it's about the principle of that! You know me, I always jump into relationships and things get messy and I just can't deal with the clean-up anymore. Not since Tyler." She added quietly.

"Yeah, we don't talk about that." Elena agreed in the same soft tone. "Here's the thing, I think you should do it."

"Really? Why?"

"Just the way you talk about him, you're so obviously interested; don't even pretend you're not. He's way into you, he sent you flowers, I mean he sounds like a gentleman. There are obviously some negatives, but I'm sure you're aware of them. You've definitely exhausted a list of pros and cons."

Caroline smiled. "It _is_ a pretty good list," she glanced down at the pad. "He's so rich. I'm concerned he might _Pretty Woman_ me."

"What does that mean?"

"Like, when a guy thinks because you don't have as much money as them you are living in like, _hell_, so he shows you the world and lets you spend all their money like you're some poor Julia Roberts prostitute. I _hate_ feeling like I can't take care of myself."

Elena laughed loudly. "Caroline, I hate to tell you this, but you're not a prostitute."

"I know! But I don't want a sugar daddy."

"You're ridiculous. My advice? Go on the date. It's just a date. Singular. You're sworn off dating, which is plural. It's not a big deal. Seriously, like he sells tea, you guys sell coffee. You're not the Capulet's and Montague's."

"You're right. Okay. One couldn't be so bad."

"Worst case scenario you fall in love."

"Oh god, worst case scenario I lose my job. Seriously. Okay I'll let you go now, enjoy your movie. Love you girl. _Bye_ Damon." She added sarcastically.

"Love you too," Elena and Damon replied at the same time, the latter in a mocking tone. Caroline shook her head and pressed _END_. She grabbed her mug of cocoa and took a long drink, relishing in the sweet warmth.

_Pro: I have Elena's support._

* * *

"A little to the left," Klaus suggested, and his employees shuffled the large canvas to the left. "Perfect."

The painting matched the store perfectly. It was a mass of muted colour, blending from one shade to the next, from to pink to light brown. There were splashes of gray in the middle of the canvas, reminiscent of the steam from a cup of tea. Intentional, of course. Now that it was hung on the wall, Klaus was pleased to note that it fit in like a missing puzzle piece.

He'd spent the past two days painting it, locked away in his studio. His concentration was unbreakable. Not even Rebekah, wandering through the workspace and chattering on and on could distract him. Klaus stood at the immense canvas, the challenge in front of him, and using a wet paintbrush, wrestled it into submission, bent it to his will. The fruit of his labour was magnificent on the wall.

"Surprisingly fitting," Elijah said, from his place beside his younger brother, "an excellent use of the space; bit egocentric, but knowing you, it could have been worse."

Klaus gave his brother a tight-lipped smile. He ran a hand through his hair, disturbing the natural order of his locks. But then, Klaus' hair had always been more unruly than his siblings', especially Elijah's perfect cut. One of the things Klaus envied about him.

The brothers made their way in a circle around the shop, double-checking all the smallest details for anything out of place. Elijah had arrived on scene earlier in the afternoon to do the final checks. He had to give the store his 'stamp of approval' before it opened, as the acting CEO.

Elijah straightened a hanging photo of the original store in London, a small smile on his face. He continued on, always touching. At the display of Mikaelson merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, limited edition postcards and such) he picked up a shirt and refolded it, though to Klaus it seemed as though the action was redundant.

The eldest Mikaelson walked around the counter and inspected the jars of tea, running his fingers over their labels. Satisfied, he moved on. He flicked the faucet on and off. Checked the register and fluttered through the bills and coins inside it. Then he shuffled around a few more items on the counter, for some executive purpose Klaus surely wouldn't understand. Honestly, his brother's attention to detail was sometimes so annoying. Elijah continued onwards with his inspection silently.

Klaus clasped his hands behind himself to stop them from twitching. As the opening drew closer, he was more and more anxious every day. The pursuit of perfection was taking a toll on him now, so close to the finish line. Every time Elijah's sharp, dark eyes flickered over an aspect, a faucet or a rivet, Klaus was drawn to it as well, examining with the precise eye of a sniper. It was all a bit ridiculous, Klaus knew, but he couldn't decide whether he wanted to laugh or cry.

The eldest brother came to a halt at the front door. The glass had recently been etched with the company logo, which he regarded with a raised eyebrow. Then he turned on his heel, his hair flawless, his suit immaculate, and his eyes proud.

"I had doubts. The same doubts I had when you first opened in New Orleans." Elijah said slowly, brushing his fingers against the frosted glass. "But you showed me then, and clearly, you've learned from your mistakes. I'm proud of you, brother. This house is fit to wear the Mikaelson name with pride."

Klaus gave his brother a wide, dimpled grin. Fortunately, his manager in NOLA, Marcel, was well-suited to handling things down there and thanks to him Klaus was free to take on another store. The brothers shook hands formally, and then embraced each other in a quick hug.

"Thank you, Elijah." Klaus said seriously, and then the door opened. Rebekah fluttered inside like a leaf caught by the breeze. She was dressed conservatively in a white trench coat, her hair in soft curls and her cheeks pink.

"So, what's the verdict?" She said nervously, rubbing her hands together for warmth. She'd been finalizing details with the advertising agency, for real this time, and had only just arrived back.

"We'll be opening on Monday." Klaus grinned, and his sister returned the smile, jumping forward to hug her brothers.

"Oh thank God, otherwise all this work would be for shit." Rebekah said after pulling off them, her demeanour changing from excited schoolgirl to young woman in seconds flat.

"That would've been what we call a 'learning experience', Bex," Klaus replied, rolling his eyes.

"No, a learning experience is university, and I've been there, done that, got the degree, now I'm ready for _actual _experience." Rebekah tossed her hair over her shoulder. As she turned around to give the store _her _final inspection, she stopped. "Oh, Nik that's perfect, it fits right in."

"Thank you, sweetheart. Shall we get some celebratory drinks?" Klaus opened the door, ignoring the cold wind that swooped inside. His siblings walked outside and Klaus turned to his personal assistant, who was standing off at the side, trying not to interrupt. "Mindy, you can send them off for the day. Goodnight, love."

He turned and made his way to his car, where his siblings were already waiting within. His heart hummed with excitement. Tonight, they would celebrate the next chapter in the Mikaelson name, and the graduation of Rebekah from student to bona fide businesswoman.

* * *

"So where's the lovely wife tonight?" Rebekah asked her eldest brother, tilting her head.

The bar was noisy, but the siblings had found a booth far enough away from the action that they could hear each other. Elijah tapped his fingers on the table.

"Pedicure. Or manicure? Maybe both." He shrugged, and took a long drink of champagne.

"You know, even if I'm not her number one fan, I'm glad you have her." Rebekah said seriously, feeling candid after her third glass of bubbly.

Elijah scoffed in surprise. His wife and his sister rarely got along, and when they did, it was strained.

"No really, it's good. You were always '_work, work, work' _before you met her and it was so bloody boring. Now you've loosened up a bit. And she makes you happy. When I was at school, I literally forgot what your smile looked like." Rebekah snorted. "You and Nik both, seriously in need of women in your lives. Look at Finn, he's got it all figured out."

The fourth brother was happily married to Sage, a champion boxer he met many years before, when he was hardly in his twenties. Now they had three children, and were living the perfect dream life.

"Finn is an unforgivable bore," Klaus chimed in, shaking his head. "Falling in love drained him of whatever personality he had before Sage."

Elijah and Rebekah laughed in unison. They hardly saw their brother, the only true family man of them so far, always with his wife or mother. He'd always been a momma's boy.

"Finn is happy. And speaking of love…how's Caroline?" Rebekah piqued an eyebrow at Klaus.

His jaw clenched involuntarily. He'd been hoping to actually avoid the topic of his own love life during the conversation, but clearly that was a dead wish. Already his older brother was turning to him with bright curiosity.

"Caroline? Why is this the first I'm hearing the name?" Elijah asked.

"That's a good question. Nik?"

"She's just a woman I met," Klaus said flippantly, waving his hand in the air.

Rebekah frowned, tapping her chin as though she was thinking deeply. "Just a woman? I hardly thought she was 'just a woman' when I walked in on you two having a cup of your loose leaf."

Klaus shot his sister a death glare as he drained his glass of champagne.

"Not the executive loose leaf?" Elijah all but gasped. "Klaus, I have known you your entire life and I hardly think of you as a sharer. This girl must be special."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "I am not nearly intoxicated enough for this conversation. Besides, it's just tea."

Elijah widened his eyes. "Just _tea? _Is our empire just _money? _This celebratory champagne just _liquor_? Niklaus, it's about the principle of it all. We all get certain privileges as members of the Mikaelson family, one such being our custom tea. It's personal, it's expensive to make, and closely guarded by all of us."

Klaus stared at his brother, trying not to look bored. These celebratory drinks had truly taken a turn for the worse.

"I mean, forgive me if I'm mistaken, but you've never been a dater. It just seems a little intimate for you. We've barely seen you show an interest in women since Tatia—"

"I will _never _be drunk enough for that conversation. It's of no concern to you two what I do with my tea. It's mine to with what I wish. And I wished to share a cuppa with her." Klaus finished, challenging his siblings with dark glances.

Rebekah shrugged, pursing her lips dubiously. Elijah leaned back and held his brother's stare. "Perhaps there is a beating heart within you after all, Niklaus."

"I wouldn't go that far, mate." Klaus replied, pouring himself another glass full. He reached forwards and filled up the glasses of his siblings as well. "We need to be drunker by at least half."

Rebekah raised her glass. "To the opening of the tea house."

"To family," Elijah added.

"Always and forever," Klaus said the silly family motto with a smirk. As children, they'd come up with the phrase during their constant moving around for business. It was something of a joke between them now, half-drenched in sentimentality.

"Always and forever," His brother and sister repeated, and they tinkled their glasses together. As they drank, Klaus tried not to think about Caroline. He'd been successful at avoiding thinking about her answer to his offer for the past few days, but after that conversation it was hardly easy. He really did want to see her again, on a proper date, and now just out of random happenstance. Klaus wanted to have more between them than a cup of loose leaf. He couldn't allow himself to be thinking about anything other than the tea house, but yet he couldn't stop the thoughts. Caroline was a beautiful distraction.

* * *

**Author's Note: Wow for some reason this chapter was literally hell to write. And I know its a bit short for me, but it is important, and the next chapter is the opening(!) and some other plotty stuff. Seriously, next chapter gets the ball really rolling. I hope. Oh, and in regards to Caroline not being that concerned about the job thing, she doesn't know how bad its gonna be yet. She knows they're competition, but in the next chapter she's gonna realize just how much trouble it will be. Anyways, I hope you're enjoying the story, leave a review if you did, they make my week! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

"So maybe I underestimated some things."

Charlotte laughed at Caroline's admission, throwing a dark braid over her shoulder. The blonde sighed, wiping down the counter for the umpteenth time. At this point, it was muscle memory and hardly required a thought.

"I don't know what I expected. But it wasn't that." Caroline crossed her arms.

That would be the literal crowd around Mikaelson's Tea House. At least fifty people, gathered near the front doors, chattering excitedly, their hot breath puffing in the cold. They didn't even seem to notice the weather. The throng was so thick that they obscured the view of the store from Caroline's position. Not that she was trying to look inside or anything. She didn't even care. At all.

It was only eight thirty. The doors were opening 'officially' at nine. They only knew this because of the traitorous customers who came into the Brew to grab a coffee while they waited for the tea house to open. Every time Caroline made a coffee for one of those customers, she pretended like she'd spat in it. She would never actually spit in someone's drink. That's disgusting.

The bell above the door jingled and two teenage girls blew inside. They were both dressed fashionably in long coats, giggling to each other. The first one, hair like a halo of blond ringlets around her head, stepped up to the cash first.

"We definitely should have brought breakfast," she laughed to her friend, and then turned to meet Charlotte's eye. "Yeah, could I get a toasted Everything Bagel with butter and uh, what do you want?"

The black-haired girl cast a quick look towards the baked goods. "Blueberry muffin?"

"'Kay. And a blueberry muffin, please?" Blondie smiled.

Charlotte tapped a few keys on the register. "That'll be $4.75."

Blondie pulled some change out of her pocket and handed it over. Charlotte slid the glass door to the left and grabbed a muffin between a napkin. Caroline took one of the Everything Bagels and sliced it down the center, then dropped it into the toaster.

The girls took a seat close to the counter. The dark-haired girl ate her muffin slowly, picking off pieces with her fingers. As Caroline waited for the toaster to pop, she had little else to do but to observe the girls.

"I'm so excited!" Blondie practically squealed.

"Oh my God, me too. I'm gonna die when I see him. Literally, I am going to die." Her friend replied, mouth full of muffin.

"He takes pictures, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Because I _so_ did not wake up at six and do _this—_" Blondie gestured to her hair, "—just for shits and giggles."

"Even if he doesn't take pictures with us, we can still get pictures of him." Muffin nodded very confidently.

The toaster popped, and Caroline grabbed the hot slices of bread. The butter spread easily onto the warm discs, making a soft scraping noise.

"I am going to lose it. I'm going to be in the same room as _Klaus Mikaelson,_" Blondie hissed, "God of Sex and Tea."

Caroline was unable to stifle a loud snort. Honestly, she was impressed she didn't do more than just snort. Truly, her restraint was more developed than she ever imagined. _God of Sex and Tea. _Incredible. She slid the bagel into a paper sleeve, and raised her head to call Blondie, but was surprised to find the teen standing directly across from her.

Caroline couldn't keep her mouth shut. "He's not a _God,_" she giggled, passing the bagel to the girl's waiting hands.

"You don't think Klaus Mikaelson is attractive?" Blondie raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Well, objectively I can see how you would think that. But not my type, really." Caroline shrugged.

"Uh, maybe you're not _his type._" Blondie replied, curling her lip.

Caroline felt her hackles rise. For some totally inexplicable reason, that comment rubbed her the wrong way. "Excuse me?" She shot the girl her deadliest head-cheerleader-sneer. It was supposed to inflict insecurity with military-level precision.

"I'm just saying. He's like, the sexiest, most available millionaire on earth. And you're like, a coffee shop girl. No offense." Blondie blinked her eyes pitifully at Caroline, and then turned to her friend. "They're gonna open soon, let's go."

Blondie and Muffin sauntered out the door, their exit marked with the ding of the bell, returning the café to its former emptiness, before Caroline could jump the counter. She settled for turning to Charlotte with a look of jaw-dropped horror.

"What a little _shit!_" Caroline whispered the last word, "Not his _type? _If I'm not his type, neither are you, you idiot; we're both _blonde!"_

Charlotte burst out laughing, her white teeth contrasting against the dark brown of her skin. "Care, relax!"

The blonde had fallen headfirst into a rant. "I mean, honestly! God of _Sex and Tea_, good Lord! He's like a scruffy British…_thing! _He should be so lucky to have a chance with me! If I'm so not-his-type, why'd he ask me on a date?" Caroline huffed, throwing her hands into the air.

"Wait, what?" Charlotte frowned.

Caroline froze with her hands still raised, the picture of the child with her hands caught in the cookie jar. Sometimes her mind and her mouth were a little too connected. Had she said the last thing aloud? She met her co-worker's curious brown eyes and knew the answer.

"He asked you out?" Charlotte crossed her arms.

Caroline said nothing, not even daring to blink.

"Oh my God. Caroline!"

Caroline slid her hands over her face wearily. "I know, it's so bad—"

"I'm so jealous!" Charlotte interrupted. "You know, in that, I-am-in-a-serious-relationship-but-if-I-was-not-I- would-be-so-jealous kind of way."

"_Jealous?_"

"Care, doll, he's hot. Outrageously hot. And he has an accent. And he's filthy rich."

Caroline turned her head to hide the blush that crept its way up her cheeks. She was not expecting this reaction from her co-worker. Scolding, maybe. Not _encouragement. _Somehow, it was worse.

There was a loud roar from outside, and both women turned to look to the front. The crowd had surged towards the Tea House, obstructing the view. Then the glass door pushed inwards and the mob flooded inside. The noise seemed to die down once all of the customers—it must have been a group of at least 60 people—had gotten into the building.

"Look, it doesn't matter though. I'm gonna tell him I can't." Caroline said definitively.

Charlotte raised her eyebrows. "What? Really?"

"You think I should do it?" Caroline tried to keep the surprise from her voice. "Knowing _who _he is and _what _he does, slash, is _doing_?" She looked pointedly outside.

"All I know is that not many people can say that they've been on a date with a British millionaire. A sexy British millionaire, for that matter. That's bucket list material."

After rolling her eyes for the appropriate amount of time, Caroline sobered. "But seriously, you _cannot _tell Alaric about this."

"Can't tell me about what?" The gruff voice of her boss came from behind her, and Caroline wondered why fate was being such a total _bitch_.

* * *

Klaus watched as Terry—one of the newly-hired employees, along with James and Sasha—jerked backwards from the force of the customers streaming inside the door. Poor guy; he didn't realize the fanbase of the Mikaelson Tea House.

Klaus, however, did. That's why he was strategically standing behind the counter, putting a solid twelve inches of finished granite between himself and the boisterous crowd. After an aggressive encounter with a fan in New Orleans, he thought it safer to stay out of the reach of the grabby hands of amorous women. He preferred to be seen and spoken to, not touched. Unlike his sister, who stood in the thick of it all, smiling like a fox in a chicken coop.

Now that most of the people had fanned out to different sections of the store, there was a rumble of conversation in the room. Rebekah was surrounded by a small assembly, likely fielding some questions. Klaus' heart swelled with pride. A group of women stepped towards the counter, not among the first to have noticed the middle Mikaelson standing behind it.

"Oh my God!"

"It's Klaus!"

"He's so much hotter in person!"

Klaus broke out his trademark smirk at the last comment, shooting the speaker a flirty wink. She looked faint. He wasn't sure what he'd done to become target of such attraction, beyond being born rich and staying rich. Not that he didn't like the attention, of course. The adoration was difficult to resist. It made him feel very important.

He chatted with the women for a bit, discussing the new flavours of tea they were offering at the location, including a limited edition Richmond leaf. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Sasha as she filled the patented Mikaelson mason jars with customer's orders. James was ringing up as many people as he could, and slowly diminishing the line. Despite the swarm of girls in front of him, many couldn't be bothered with the fame of the Mikaelson family. They just liked the products. It made no difference to Klaus, as long as he made money.

After signing a few jars and taking a rare photo with an excited teenage fan, Klaus retired to the back room, to take a break. He settled himself luxuriously on the couch, both feet on the coffee table. It was hard work to be such a social butterfly. One could hardly understand how Rebekah did it.

"Nik? Are you back here?" Speak of the devil.

Klaus adjusted his tie, deciding not to answer as he could hear the click-clack of his sister's heels as she approached. Her hand was first around the doorway, nails red and perfectly manicured, and then the rest of her body followed. For the opening, she had chosen on a pair of dark jeans, a silky white top and a black blazer. The youngest Mikaelson looked an utter professional with her hair neatly braid to one side.

"Did you hear me?" She asked, leaning against the frame.

"Yes, I just didn't answer." Klaus replied with a shrug.

"Nice. How are you doing? Still Nervous Nik?" She teased, pulling a protein bar from her pocket and biting into it.

The night before, Klaus had been spectacularly anxious. He'd been pacing all over the apartment, hands twitching. Everything was set, it was all perfectly in line, there was nothing left to be done, and yet his muscles itched for purpose. Rebekah had watched him from the kitchen as he stormed around the penthouse. Something about openings gave him the worst anxiety. It probably related to his deep, psychological need for acceptance and approval, Rebekah offered, earning herself a glare.

"No," Klaus said callously, "honestly, it was just pre-opening jitters. I cannot _wait_ until you get them, sweetheart."

Rebekah scoffed. "You severely underestimate my nerve."

"Oh no, on the contrary, I think you've got _quite _the nerve." Klaus smirked, and then ducked from the chunk of protein bar that was whipped at his head.

* * *

Caroline froze for the second time that day. She allowed only her eyes to shift and glance towards Charlotte for help, who looked just as stunned. Then Charlotte chose to just leave Caroline alone with her boss, mumbling something about a bathroom break as she walked past them.

Alaric stepped forward and into Caroline's line of sight when she made no move to turn. He must have slipped in the back entrance while they'd been chatting. Caroline silently cursed the lack of back-door bell.

Fixing his employee with a suspicious look, Alaric crossed his arms. "Can't tell me what? What's going on?"

"Okay, don't freak out—" Caroline started, flipping her expression from terrified-grown-woman to puppy-who-accidently-chewed-your-favourite-shoes in less than a second.

"Did you jam the grinder again? How many times do I have to tell you this?" Alaric sighed, walking to the row of machines on the wall. He dropped his hand on top of the grinder, and turned to Caroline like a teacher lecturing a troublesome student. In another life, he would fit the professor role very well.

Caroline frowned. "That's not—"

"Caroline, I'm only going to explain this one more time. Make sure the beans are drained below _this _marker before you add another bag. Seriously, when you overfill the machine it dulls the blades, and this is a _new grinder—"_

"It's not about the grinder!" Caroline exclaimed, her voice pitching high. She _so _could not deal with another Grinder Lecture. You jam the machine _one time _and suddenly you're the village idiot.

Alaric dropped his hand off the machine, his posture relaxing. "Oh. Good. What's going on then?"

"Okay. So obviously you're aware of the tea house across the street," Caroline gestured towards the front of the shop and the building filled with people, "and the family that owns the company or whatever."

Alaric raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going with this?"

"Klaus Mikaelson asked me on a date, but obviously I'm gonna turn him down." Caroline said in one breath, wincing for the repercussions. They did not come as swiftly as she imagined they would. Alaric was supposed to gasp, punch a wall out of sheer anger, pour boiling coffee into his ears—okay, maybe that was a bit extreme. But he had hardly moved.

"Yeah?" He looked amused, his head tilted to the left.

Caroline tried to tread carefully. "Yeah, he asked me out," she mumbled, wringing her hands.

Alaric turned to look out the front window, watching the customers stream in and out of the Mikaelson Tea House. His expression was thoughtful as he scratched the scruff on his chin. Caroline wondered if she was witnessing the calm before the storm.

"I'm not mad, Care, you can relax." He said finally.

Caroline dropped her shoulders. "You're not?"

"No, of course not. I'm your boss; it's none of my business who you date. Do you really think I'm that big of an ass?" Alaric shot her a withering look. "Though, it is pretty intriguing."

It was Caroline turn to cross her arms. "No, but I was worried you might be; I know how anxious you've been about…_you know_ over the past week. What do you mean intriguing?"

"How interested would you say he is? I mean, out of sheer curiosity."

"How interested? He's been pretty persistent…On a scale of one to ten, like an eight, probably. Or a seven and a half." Caroline tossed her hair over her shoulder before she realized what she was doing.

Alaric hummed in response. Caroline decided at that moment she would have preferred him being angry. What was with her work colleagues and their inability to respond to situations the way she thought they would? Especially when she had already planned how to react to their reactions. It was just rude.

"Remember when I said it was none of my business who you date?" Alaric asked, the smile on his face impish.

"Like two seconds ago?" Caroline squinted.

"Yeah, well maybe I am that big of an ass. I think you should go on that date."

"_What!_" Caroline wanted to scream. Was she living in the fricking Twilight Zone?

"Care, it's a strategic move. If he's busy fawning over you, he won't have time to spend at the Tea House. Him being there is a huge draw for customers. The Mikaelson children are celebrities in their own way and they definitely cash in on it."

"Oh my God, you want me to _distract him?_" Caroline didn't even bother to hide the offense in her tone.

"Purely as a calculated action! And there's bound to be some benefits for you; he's totally the kind of guy who spoils a girl. He's a rich boy. It's what they do."

Caroline nodded her head. As if she needed to be reminded of the courting rituals of boys with huge bank accounts. Been there, done that. "I don't know, Ric."

Alaric's expression softened. "Caroline, if you don't want to see this guy, I'm not gonna force you. Seriously, it's your choice. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

When Caroline didn't respond, Alaric continued. "I just thought of that, because I went in there this morning—you know, obviously to do some reconnaissance—and I just saw him _surrounded _by these girls."

Caroline had to make a quick effort to not grimace at that. Her face was totally not on her side today.

"And I just thought, if he wasn't single, it'd be different." Alaric sighed. "Anyways, totally your choice, you're an independent woman and all that. I just thought you could bat some lashes."

Damn it, Ric could always find a way to make Caroline smile. One of his most annoying traits, she thought as she chuckled. "Show some leg? Hit him with an ankle?"

"Slow down, Care, people will talk!"

* * *

The store hours would officially be over at eight. A solid eleven hours of being in the Tea House and interacting with excited fans. Only fifteen minutes left, Klaus thought, or mentally chanted.

He hadn't spent this much time intermingling with his customers since New Orleans. That was years back, and he was a different man then. Perhaps he was just growing older and grouchier. But nothing tired him out more than the endless throng of chatty people. Who spent money there, he kept reminding himself.

At least the mass crowd had dissipated completely. It was still busy in the shop, but Klaus finally felt like he could breathe again. Rebekah was either not feeling the effects, or was simply on some kind of mind-altering drug. There was no other explanation for the way she could turn again and again to new customers, explain things in tones he was so unused to—she almost sounded _sweet. _How wonderfully duplicitous of her.

Klaus was standing as far away from the front of the store as he could be while maintaining an eye over it. Leaning wearily against the doorframe, dressed in a navy sports jacket and grey slacks, Klaus wanted nothing more than to take off his tie and stop impersonating Elijah. The thought pulled a smirk to Klaus' lips. As if he could ever pass for his brother.

The door to the shop opened with a jingle, and a couple pushed their way to the chilly outdoors. Klaus was about to flick his eyes away, when a blonde entered. As she turned her head slightly, Klaus recognized her with an excited tightness in his chest. Caroline.

All at once he was striding towards her, all sense of exhaustion disappeared, straightening his jacket and smiling. He walked straight past three customers who turned to speak to him and felt no guilt. Where Caroline was standing was where he needed to be, sorry-not-sorry.

The man and woman brush past her as they leave, and Caroline slipped inside, hoping to use their bodies as a cover. It's not that she's ashamed to be where she is, or she doesn't want to be seen—but okay, maybe it _is _a little bit of that—she's nervous. She got off her shift an hour ago, and she'd been putting off her _visit _until last minute. Once she's inside however, she forgets all about it.

The Tea House is, she hates to admit, _gorgeous. _It reminds her of the Gilbert's lake house, all exposed wood and rustic details. It's cozy, yet modern. The glass fireplace in the center of the room is lit, and beautiful, she thinks as she observes it. It smells earthy and fresh, and a little bit like autumn. It's nice. Horribly nice.

There's a large painting on the wall. It's abstract, and seriously _huge. _She crossed her arms in front of it and stared. A lifetime ago, she took an art class and studied abstract. It's one of her favourite styles of art. A lot of people don't get it, and she used to be one of them, but after that class, she changed her view. It wasn't as simple, or conventional, as portraits. It was about colour and emotion, about communicating a feeling without words or sound.

"What do you think?"

Caroline jumped in surprise. Her ears had become quickly accustomed to the lull of the store, and were certainly not prepared for the deep murmur of a certain Brit right beside her ear. Seriously, personal space.

Klaus obviously did not miss her startled reaction, because when she turned to face him he was grinning. And looking very good, in his jacket and tie. Caroline kept her face impassive.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack," she said dryly, and then looked back to the painting. "It's beautiful. The use of colour is impressive, and it almost reminds me of a cup of coffee."

"Tea, love," Klaus corrected, wondering if his work was really so literal.

"Oh yeah, tea, the leaf water." Caroline smiled, and pointed to her face, "I'm a coffee girl, remember?"

Klaus tilted his head. "Right, _coffee girl_, I'm loathe to inform you, but your beloved coffee is only bean water."

She'd forgotten how annoyingly witty he was. A traitorous chuckle left her lips, and Caroline turned away from the painting, towards the center of the store. "So this is it, huh? Your life's work?"

Klaus raised his eyebrows at her tone. He hardly condoned teasing about his 'life's work'.

"Relax, I'm only kidding," Caroline shook her head. "It's actually kind of _great _in here. It reminds me of the lake house. Cozy."

Unable to squash his feelings of pride, Klaus broke out into a wide grin. "Thank you, love."

Caroline returned with a smile of her own, and then clasped her hands together in front of her. "So…I guess you guys are closing up soon." Crap. Why did she say that? She still had to tell him yes!

Klaus tore his eyes from the blonde, suddenly remembering that he was in a shop filled with other people. But now it was mostly becoming deserted as customers filed out after getting their products. Klaus checked his watch on his wrist: seven fifty-nine. Closing time. "Yes, we should be all done at eight. So, beyond your curiosity, why are you here, Caroline?"

She was unprepared for his forwardness. But that was Klaus, always unexpected and pushing Caroline to her very end. "Well, I thought you'd waited long enough for your answer," she said casually, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

Klaus' heart started to beat a little bit faster. He'd been waiting patiently for her to bring up the date, knowing that if he did, he would come off as pushy and intolerant. It was a slow game with Caroline, and he had the feeling it might be a long one.

"I'm not a mindreader, love. Please continue." He said, after her silence lasted a few seconds.

"Nik!" Rebekah was striding quickly towards them. Her eyes flickered over Caroline with recognition, and then back to her brother. Apparently, she chose to just ignore the former.

"We did it!" She exclaimed, moving forward to wrap her arms around her brother for a quick hug. Klaus rubbed her back awkwardly.

"You remember Caroline, of course," Klaus gestured to the other blonde that was shuffling from foot to foot. She offered Rebekah a nod.

"Hello," the youngest Mikaelson tilted her head as though she was looking at a strange animal. "Once you're done here, come to the back so we can celebrate, all right?"

Klaus nodded as she turned on her heel and strode towards the breakroom. He turned back to Caroline with a roll of his eyes.

"Sorry about that. Bex is a little bit tired. First real day of work and all that." He shook his head.

Caroline laughed. "I don't think she likes me very much."

"She doesn't like anyone who steals her brothers' attention. Youngest child, bit of a brat, only girl in the family."

"That must be tough." Caroline replied, and Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, you guys were probably jetting all over the world doing business when she was young. It totally makes sense that's she's selfish around you; she's been sharing you with the world her whole life, right?" Caroline said as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Klaus regarded her with a deep, penetrating look. His expression was serious and humble. Even though his sister had been nothing but a total brat to her, Caroline still had the heart to emphasize with her.

"I should probably get going, so you guys can celebrate and stuff," she continued, and started to walk towards the door.

"Caroline!" He called, and speed-walked to stand beside her at the door.

She tried not to shiver at the perfect way he said her name. _Carahline_. Like nobody had ever said it before.

"Yes, I'll go out with you," she said quickly, spinning to face him and stick an accusatory finger at his chest, "but you had better not _Pretty Woman _me, mister."

Klaus smiled widely, his eyes bright and clear. He lowered his head like a puppy being punished and nodded. "I'm not quite sure what you mean by that, but of course not. I'm a perfect gentleman."

"Yeah, we'll see," Caroline replied with a sly smile. "Pick me up after work at seven tomorrow. I hope that's enough notice."

Klaus nodded, pursing his lips to keep from smiling. "Love, I've been waiting to take you out for days now. Two minutes would be enough notice."

Caroline smiled and looked down at her feet. "Whatever you say. I'm going to head out. Goodnight, and congratulations, I guess."

"Thank you," Klaus reached out and touched her arm lightly, "Goodnight Caroline."

As the door swung shut, she walked away from the Tea House, her heart hammering. He was so damn smooth, it was infuriating. But she couldn't deny the way he affected her. Going on this date might be harder than she thought.

* * *

**Author's Note: Wow finally an update! So sorry about the wait you guys, I got hit with some writer's block halfway through and anyways...whatever it's up now! Yes, Caroline is playing the distraction to Klaus much like she usually does in the show. I thought it was a funny parallel. Maybe just me. Caroline will meet the rest of the Mikaelsons, don't worry. What did everybody think about this chapter? Leave a review, they honestly make my week and I've really missed you guys! As always, my tumblr is ****_deathbypersonality _****if you wanna hit me up. **

**ps. the response to this story has been amazing and I only hope I can continue to keep you guys entertained!**

**pps. GUYS don't worry, Caroline has feelings for Klaus, but she couldn't justify going on the date with him, until Alaric kinda gave her a reason. So outwardly, she's 'distracting' him, but inwardly, she really wanted an excuse to go on the date, ya dig? plzzz don't hate me**


	7. Chapter 7

As Caroline pulled off her apron and visor, the now-familiar swarm of butterflies began to flutter in her stomach. Anytime she was with Klaus, or she was about to be with Klaus, or shit, anytime she had half a _thought_ about him, her stomach became a nauseating battleground. It was so freaking _high school_. She was supposed to be eras ahead of this stuff.

Sighing, she grabbed the duffel bag beside her coat and scurried into the bathroom. Yeah, she told him to pick her up after work, but that didn't mean she would be meeting him in jeans and a sweater like some plebeian. Oh no, she had the date night outfit picked out and packed that morning.

As she unzipped her jeans and danced out of the legs, she reminded herself that she didn't need to be stressed at all. She was going to look hot, eat some expensive food, and flirt harmlessly with a gorgeous millionaire. The more she thought about it, the less she could complain.

After giving her bra a quick readjustment, Caroline slipped the dress over her head. The material was silky and smooth as she pulled it down. The zip in the side went up easily. She had tried it on three times the night before to make sure it fit. It was shiny and purple and beautiful. The strapless bodice was crossed with the fabric to give it a wrapped look, and the skirt of the dress was pleated, ending just above the knee. And it had _pockets! _Caroline was suddenly grateful to her past self for buying the dress on impulse two months ago.

Her reflection smiled back at her with newfound confidence. Oh, the glory of a new dress. She'd left her hair in two braids all day, sacrificing her usual look for something a little more _Anne of Green Gables _so that she could have perfectly waved hair for the date. That, and she didn`t have time for the curling iron after work. Gently, her fingers picked apart the braids, allowing her golden mane to loosen into waves.

Caroline touched up her mascara, deciding not to go heavy on her eye makeup. She did, however, swipe her lips with a touch of gloss.

Finally, she grabbed her black booties out of the duffel bag. The heels were not too high that she wouldn't be able to walk, but they still lengthened her legs considerably. Caroline dumped her work clothes back in the bag haphazardly. She gave herself a final check in the mirror as she dabbed perfume on her wrists and neck.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Caroline tucked the duffel bag into one of the cubbies by the coat rack. She'd pick it up next time she was at the shop. She slipped her trench coat over her shoulders (it was way too cold to be just wearing a dress) and grabbed her purse.

Alaric looked up from the counter as she walked past, shooting her a thumbs up. "Hey, you look great! He's not gonna know what hit him."

Caroline smiled shyly. "You think?"

"Knock him dead, Care."

* * *

Klaus tapped his spoon on the side of his mug to catch the drips, and then tossed the utensil in the sink. He took a long drink of the tea, closing his eyes. After the cup, he'd head off to pick up Caroline. His pulse quickened at the thought.

Normally he wasn't one to have a cup before a date—well, normally he wasn't one to _be _on a date. But the prospect of taking Caroline out set his fingers twitching nervously, and they had to be directed into stillness around the warmth of a mug.

Another sip and he pulled at the collar of his shirt. Rebekah had been so kind as to choose his tie, a crisp black number with thin stripes, and he was beginning to suspect she'd tightened it to hangman's noose level on purpose. Unsurprising, really—Bex had always been a little bit protective of her brothers, especially Klaus. Sometimes the lines between protective and possessive blurred for her, however. It would be sweet, if it wasn't infuriating.

"So where are you taking her?" she asked, striding from the hallway into the kitchen. Standing on the opposite end of the counter, she fixed him with a serious look.

Klaus sighed, the steam from his tea billowing outwards. "Rebekah…"

"What?" Rebekah replied, widening her eyes. "I'm curious."

"Do you really expect me to divulge my plans for the evening to you like an excited schoolgirl? I'm not you, sweetheart." Klaus smirked.

She tilted her head, mirroring his expression. "You're defensive. Somebody's nervous. Really, Nik, could you be any more obvious?"

Klaus immediately dropped his face into a glare. Silently, he sipped his tea. Damn Rebekah and all the ways she knew to make him transparent.

The youngest Mikaelson tucked an errant lock of blonde hair behind her ear, her eyes softening. "I'm glad you're nervous."

He raised an eyebrow.

"It means you care. About something other than work."

A soft smile graced Klaus' lips as Rebekah cast her eyes towards the counter. His sister could be such a brat, such a spoiled little child, and somehow she could always redeem herself. There was so much more to her than she let the world see, so much more than a spoilt heiress.

"It sounds positively _sappy _in here, what's going on?"

Klaus and Rebekah both snapped upwards at the sound of Kol's voice. The youngest brother appeared from the bedroom hallway, strutting casually through the penthouse. His clothes, jeans and suspiciously familiar Henley, were wrinkled dramatically. Rebekah glanced towards the elevator and then back to her brother.

"Sorry, have you been here the whole time?" Her brows furrowed together.

Kol ran a hand through his rakish hair. "Relax darling; I was only having a nap."

"You broke into my apartment to have a _nap_?" Klaus' grip on the mug tightened.

Kol rolled his eyes. "No, I used my key to get into your apartment to have a nap. Don't be so uncouth."

"Where were you even sleeping?" Rebekah regarded Kol with narrowed eyes.

"One of the guest bedrooms I suppose, there's no shortage," Kol shrugged, gesturing to the massive penthouse.

"I don't recall getting you a key, mate." Klaus said slowly, placing his cup in the sink.

"Elijah gave me his."

Klaus shot him a sceptical look.

"Fine, I took Elijah's. Bloody semantics." Kol didn't even look vaguely guilty. "Look, I was with this girl and one thing lead to another and—long story short, I lost my shirt to a crazy American and sought out shelter in here."

"Your propensity for class never ceases to impress, Kol." Klaus gritted out. "I suppose I can assume that's my shirt, then?"

Kol looked down to the wrinkled grey Henley he was wearing. "Oh, yeah. Thought you wouldn't mind, considering you have literally hundreds of them."

"I don't have time for this," Klaus replied and grabbed his jacket from off the counter. "You had better be gone when I get back, brother."

Kol pouted. "Where you off to? You look like Elijah's doppelganger."

"He's got a _date. _With Caroline." Rebekah said, smirking.

"Caroline? She sounds positively delicious. Willing to share, Nik?"

Klaus smoothed the blue jacket down so it laid flat on his shoulders. He shot his brother a disdainful look. Grabbing his keys off the stool, Nik stepped into the waiting elevator, leaving his siblings alone in the kitchen.

"Such a greedy git," Kol shrugged.

* * *

Caroline fiddled with the box of straws to keep her hands busy. The minute hand was slowly making its way towards the twelve, and suddenly a few minutes was drawing out longer than she imagined possible. Klaus would be punctual. She just knew. Not a second before, or after.

Alaric had disappeared to the back to put away some stock, so Caroline was alone in the shop, leaning against the counter. Her toe tapped incessantly on the tile floor. She stilled her foot with an indignant look. _Pull yourself together._

The bell above the door jingled. Caroline glanced to the clock first—God, what an asshole — and then to Klaus.

She turned and straightened at the sight of him, smiled at the way his mouth opened slightly, wobbled, closed. Then he was smiling at her, walking forward with that confident stride, arms behind back.

"Caroline," he breathed.

"Hi," she replied, suddenly shy.

"Ready, then?" He asked, eyes wide, unblinking.

"I'm all set!"

Klaus held out the crook of his arm to her, and she slipped her hand through, feeling like royalty. He led her back to the front of the shop, and then hurried forward to open the door for her. Caroline did a mock curtsey. Klaus' mouth twitched.

As he opened the door to the Rover parked out front, he inclined his head in a bow. Caroline scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Once they were both settled in the car, Caroline took a moment to drink in his profile as he drove. He really was so pretty. And he was always so pleased to see her, so content to be around her. She didn't want to hurt him at all, she realized with a start.

"This is the only date you're gonna get," she said with such conviction she surprised herself.

Klaus glanced over, his eyebrows raised. "Sorry?"

"I mean, there's not going to be a second date." Caroline replied, her voice wavering slightly. She pulled on the seatbelt.

"Seems a bit early to decide that, love. I haven't even wined or dined you yet." He said with a grin, his eyes betraying his seriousness.

"No, it's not you; it's something else—So! Where are we going?" Caroline looked out the window, not recognizing the area.

"There's a quaint little sushi restaurant around here that my sister's been telling me about, that I thought you might like," Klaus said airily.

Caroline sat up a little straighter in her seat. "Really? I love sushi!"

"Fantastic." Klaus smiled, pulling the car into park.

They had settled into an easy silence, chewing mouthfuls of spicy salmon and California rolls. Klaus was drinking a Japanese beer that Caroline had turned down with a shake of her head, opting for some sake.

The lighting was soft and intimate in the restaurant. In their corner booth, the noise of the other diners seemed subdued.

"So where are you from, Caroline?" Klaus asked, a slice of salmon sashimi pinched between his fingers.

"Well, I come from the world-renowned Mystic Falls." She said with a small smile.

Klaus scratched the stubble on his cheeks. "Never heard of it, I'm afraid."

"Doesn't surprise me," Caroline chuckled, "it's a really small town. You know, where everyone knows everyone."

"Ah, sounds dreadful. You must be happy to have escaped."

Caroline rested her chin on her hand. "I don't know. Sometimes I am, but then sometimes I miss being a big fish in a small pond."

Klaus tilted his head slightly, his lips closed around the bottle of Sapporo. "I have a feeling that you _ruled _your little town," he said after he'd swallowed.

A chuckle escaped her lips, but it came out a little forlorn. "Well, I _was _Miss Mystic Falls."

"Milady," Klaus replied, nodding his head, and Caroline smiled. "So why'd you leave?"

"I grew up. That just isn't me anymore," she said vaguely, popping some sushi into her mouth.

Klaus locked her to her chair with his gaze. The intensity in his oceanic eyes never failed to surprise her. "So what aren't you telling me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've been led to believe you were something of royalty back home. Then why leave?" Klaus asked, his eyebrows raised. "Just curiosity, love."

Caroline was silent for a moment, biding her time as she chewed. Then she heaved a great sigh. "It was a guy. God, I feel so predictable."

Klaus smiled. "Not at all, love. I've had my fair share of romantic tragedies."

"Yeah, well mine happened senior year. It's so weird thinking back about it. I was so young, but I felt so mature. I mean, _Hello Caroline, you're seventeen! _I thought I was in love." She rolled her eyes.

"And?"

"And I got screwed over. He cheated on me with some girl he met camping. Like…" Caroline huffed. Perhaps it wasn't so long ago after all. "I don't know, it really screwed me up for a while. I wasn't the most secure teenager."

"He was an idiot to do that." Klaus said, his expression stony.

"Tell me about it. Anyways, I couldn't stand to be around him or anywhere in town after. It was like, everywhere reminded me of him, you know? Ugh. So I applied to university and I packed up and left."

"What degree did you pursue?"

"Uh, journalism, if you can believe it. I wanted to be a TV reporter." Caroline giggled.

"Wanted?"

"Past tense. I finished school, I got the degree, but it's like, now what? I have a ton of debt I gotta pay off." Caroline sighed, putting her elbows onto the table and folding her hands under her chin.

Klaus smiled back at her. "You're a remarkable woman, Caroline."

She smiled down at her sushi. "I feel like I've talked way too much about myself, oh my God. I sound so self-centered."

"My fault, love. I could talk about you all night." Klaus' eyes danced in the light.

"Well I can't. Where did you grow up?"

"Very small town, similar to yours. London, England. Heard of it?"

"Hmmm," Caroline tapped her chin with her finger. "Nope, can't say I have."

Klaus laughed, his dimples revealing themselves sin his cheeks. Caroline tried not to stare.

"Did you go to university?" She asked.

"I never saw the use. I was born into the life, as it were." He was on the verge of sounding bitter.

"Wow, I guess I turned out to be the worldlier and educated one, huh?"

"You've travelled?"

Caroline laughed sharply. "No, I've never really been anywhere."

"I'll take you."

Caroline did her best _come-on-are-you-even-serious _face.

"Really. Rome. Paris. Tokyo."

Unable to contain herself, she let out a scoff.

"Alright, love, let's start small. My apartment." He grinned at her, looking so pleased with himself.

"Okay, Casanova." Caroline deadpanned.

When the waiter came back over to check on them, Klaus asked for the bill. Before Caroline could even suggest that they split it or _something_, he was dropping likely far more paper on the table than was necessary, and ushering her out the door of the restaurant. The warmth of his hand on the small of her back was like a hot iron.

* * *

Evidently, Klaus' penthouse was only a few blocks from the sushi place, so it was a short, but electric drive. Caroline couldn't deny any longer the force between them. It was magnetic; it drew her to him like a moth to a flame, the way he spoke, the way he looked at her, the way he drove with one arm touching the back of her seat.

By the time they'd pulled into the parking lot, she was humming with nervous energy. Klaus led her to the elevators, and they rode up twice in excited silence. At the final elevator, Caroline fiddled with the buttons on her coat instead of catching his eye. This date wasn't supposed to be fun or interesting. Damn it.

The doors dinged and slide open, revealing Klaus' immaculate penthouse. It still took her breath away. It was just so big and beautiful.

He strode inside quickly, allowing her space to take it in once more. Caroline slid her coat off her shoulders.

"Whiskey?" He asked from the refrigerator.

Caroline walked into the kitchen, leaning against the counter. From her position she could see in the fridge. There was literally only a bottle of whiskey, and milk inside.

"Sure, sounds great."

Klaus straightened and grabbed two glasses from a cupboard. He poured twin drinks, handing one over to Caroline. She smiled her thanks.

"Sorry, do you mind if I go to the bathroom?" She asked once the weight of the glass was in her hand.

"Not at all. It's just down the hall, third door on the left." Klaus replied, smiling.

Caroline turned and made her way quickly down the hallway. The third door was slightly ajar. She slipped inside and flicked on the light. Oh, God. Flawless interior design. So unsurprising.

Ignoring the massive shower and bath, she placed both hands on the counter and stared into her reflection. Her heart was hammering in her chest all of the sudden. It felt like she was having a panic attack. This one date was becoming so much more. She wanted to call Elena, but she'd left her phone back in her coat.

_Pull yourself together! _She screamed mentally. She brought her hands up to shake up her hair a little. There was an eyelash on her cheek that she was only _minutely _disappointed Klaus hadn't commented on, and she was looking a little pale. It was this duplicity thing, it was killing her.

Caroline pinched her cheeks to put some color back in them, and then moaned.

Or wait—what?

Caroline's head snapped towards the door. That moan did _so _not come from her. Then she heard it again, lower, needier. Caroline backed away from the counter. It was definitely coming from one of the rooms. Spooked, she retreated back to the kitchen.

"I was thinking love—what's wrong?" Klaus took in her spooked expression with immediate concern.

Caroline tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Does anyone else live here?"

"Just my sister, but she's gone out for the night. What's happened?" Klaus stepped closer, his gaze zeroing in on the blonde.

"I just heard something," She waved her hand, moving instinctively closer.

"Something like wind blowing, or glass breaking? Be more specific, love." Klaus craned his neck to look down the hallway, his shoulder brushing against Caroline's.

"It was, um," Caroline dared not look at him, "a moan."

Klaus stared at her for a second, watched the way her cheeks flamed suddenly, and fought the urge to continue to stare. He rolled his eyes. "For God's sake."

Straightening his back, Klaus stomped down the hallway, and stopped outside Rebekah's door. There was a squeak from within. He rapped his knuckles impatiently against the wood. A moment passed, and then his sister appeared through a crack in the doorframe, robe tightened around her, cheeks flushed.

"Yes?" She had the nerve to raise an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry to interrupt your little _tryst, _Bex, but would you mind shutting the _fuck _up? I've brought Caroline back for a drink, and she's heard you moaning like some succubus and I'll be damned if she doesn't think the place is bloody haunted. I don't care about what you do. I just don't want to hear it." Klaus finished, his gaze like ice.

Rebekah shrank slightly, and then puffed out her chest. "Fine. Whatever." She shut the door, and then opened it a crack. "Ass."

The door closed with a click, and Klaus grimaced. Spinning on his heel, he decided to push the issue out of his mind entirely and focus on his date.

Caroline was standing awkwardly in the kitchen when he returned, sipping for her whiskey. She looked glad to see him alive.

"Not to worry, just my sister exercising her sexual freedom. Drinks on the roof, sweetheart?" Klaus pointed with his head towards the opposite end of the apartment. Caroline nodded. As they walked towards the large glass doors, Klaus grabbed a wool blanket off the couch.

The doors slide open silently, and they were greeted by a blast of cool air. The night was clear, the moon large and white in the sky, casting the rooftop in silvery light. The hum of the streets seemed quieter from so high. There was a barren-looking couch beside an outdoor fireplace that Klaus led her towards. They sat down beside each other, and Klaus slipped the blanket over Caroline's shoulders. She smiled warmly.

"This is nice," she said after a while.

Klaus watched her from the opposite side of the couch, so careful not to invade her space.

"It's not flashy. It's good. You, me, the moon." Caroline mused.

"It's quickly becoming my favourite combination." Klaus sipped on his whiskey. "So, have I changed your mind?"

"About what?" Caroline turned, her golden hair shimmering like ice in the moonlight.

"About another date."

She gave him a long look. He chose to stare out into the night instead of meeting her eyes. There was a vulnerability to the way he spoke, and it truly surprised her.

Emboldened by the whiskey, Caroline sighed. "I would love to."

Klaus grinned.

"But I can't."

His smile faltered. "Why not?"

"I made a promise to myself."

"That what, you wouldn't do what you want?"

"No, of course not."

"Then what is it?"

Caroline drained her glass, the liquid burning her throat. She coughed. "I have sworn off dating."

"_What?_" Klaus' mouth twitched.

"Look, this year, my 23rd year, was supposed to be about _me_. I wasn't supposed to get into any relationships or be dating."

"Why?"

"Because I have a bad habit of making myself feel like absolute shit when it's over. It's dumb—"

"No, it isn't. Look, Caroline, I quite enjoy your company. And you enjoy mine." Klaus said carefully, "I want to see you again."

"Klaus—"

"Just a single date. That's all I want. And then after that, I'd like another separate night with you. And then another, perhaps a day with you." Klaus said.

Caroline scoffed. "I think that's what they call dating nowadays."

"I would never hurt you."

Caroline tilted her head ever so slightly.

"Take a chance."

"If I break that promise to myself, what am I saying?" Caroline asked, pulling the blanket tighter around her.

"That the circumstances have changed. That's all." Klaus sighed. "Just consider—"

"Okay, I'll do it." She interrupted, "I'll see you again."

Klaus grinned wider than seemed possible. "You won't regret it. Now let's go inside before you catch your death."

They both stood up, and as separate silhouettes, gave the moon a last, longing look. There was something so beautiful, so brief about its glow, that they couldn't help but salute it with their gaze. Klaus glanced over at Caroline, her skin porcelain but her eyes like fire. With his blanket wrapped around her shoulders, she was picturesque. Klaus sighed and turned, and then moment fell away like rain down a window. They walked back to the doors in silence.

Caroline was feeling oddly guilt-free. She was indulging herself in this adventure with Klaus. More than anything, she wanted to explore these feelings, to learn more about him. He was so different than the guys she had dated. But in a way, he was still the same. He just presented it in a new way. And she couldn't deny their attraction. Now _that _was something she hadn't felt before.

The door locked with a soft click, and Caroline snapped out of her reverie. Klaus had lifted her empty glass from her hand, and now he walked ahead of her, making his way to the sink. She appreciated the long lines of his body, and the ratio of his shoulders to his hips. Briefly, she imagined the look of his bare skin beneath his jacket. The image made her cheeks heat.

It was warmer inside the penthouse, pleasantly so, but Caroline still hugged the blanket around her shoulders. It smelled like tea and earth and Klaus. She wondered how long he had owned it.

A noise in the hallway made both of them turn. A man was walking quietly towards them, stepping deliberately to be quiet. His bare feet still slapped on the wood. In his hand was a bunched up piece of clothing.

Klaus was standing in front of Caroline, so he saw the man first, and fixed him with a disdainful look. Caroline peeked past her protector with squinted eyes as the figure stepped forward into the kitchen.

She gasped.

"_Stefan Salvatore?!_"

* * *

_**Author's Note: I'M ALIVE. Whoa. Jeez. What a long time to not update. And I picked literally the worst chapter to leave you guys hanging with. I am the worst, I know. anyways, with every new spoiler for TVD/TO, I got kinda annoyed with the writers and Then school started and this is a big year for me, so I've been busy. I don't know how often I'm gonna keep updating this story, I can't promise anything. But I hope you at least enjoyed this chapter. Did you expect Kol to be in the bedroom? haha that comes later...I promise. Well, if you enjoyed, if you missed me, if you've got something to say, leave a review. You can also find me at my tumblr, deathbypersonality. :) thank you, lovelies.**_

_**ps. I may or may not have a Stefan-gets-saved-by-a-mermaid-from-the-safe fic in the works. but i totally do. mermaids are so great you guys. especially DARK mermaids yes.**_


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